Lessons
by OH NO NOT AGAIN
Summary: What if Keitaro finally did something about the girls' issues with boys? Who needs the help? The third gender is hurt/comfort. After chapter 8 the story will be on hiatus.
1. Chapter 1: Nobody is indestructible

A/N: Hey people. I decided to start another story that I had an idea to start. this is sort of like one of those 'Keitaro snaps' fics. I pretty much planned this story out entirely. Please Review.

Lessons

Chapter 1: Nobody is indestructible

Keitaro was having an off day. When he got back from Cram School, he recieved Su's traditional greeting. That was not the bad part. The bad part was that he landed right on top of Mutsumi. Unfortunately, Motoko was coming around the corner to go to the kitchen. All she saw was Keitaro on top of Mutsumi. "URASHIMA! YOU VILE MALE! VIOLATING POOR OTOHIME-SAN! YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!" she shouted.

"Wait, Motoko-chan! I can explain! I..." Keitaro panicked, trying to explain.

"SECRET TECNIQUE: AIR SPLITTING SWORD!" Motoko said, hitting him with a ki attack that sent him flying straight into the kitchen...

...Right on top of Shinobu.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH! S-Sempai! Wh-What are you doing?" Shinobu asked after shrieking.

"So sorry, Shinobu-chan. Motoko hit me with a ki attack that sent me flying into the kitchen," Keitaro said as he tried to get up. Unfortunately, before he could, Naru came in, responding to Shinobu's shriek.

"Shinobu-chan, what's wr..." Naru said before charging at Keitaro, who managed to get up before what she said next. Keitaro could see her red aura of anger before the "KEITARO! YOU PERVERT!" that she shouted as she sent him into orbit with her patented Naru Punch.

"GAAAAAAAAH!" he yelled as he was sent flying over Hinata City, Tokyo, Kyoto, and onto Okinawa, in Mutsumi's home's front lawn.

**One minute earlier, Otohime Residence, front lawn...**

Natsumi Otohime, mother of Mutsumi Otohime, was on a lawn chair with a table of watermelons on her left, a huge box of them on her right, and an umbrella covering her face in shade.

"Ahhhh..." she sighed. She was calm. She closed her eyes until she heard screaming. That's when Keitaro crashed into the box of watermelons, effectively covering the surrounding lawn in juiced watermelon, including Mrs. Otohime.

**Back to the present...**

Keitaro groaned. He was covered in watermelon and looking at a face covered in watermelon. "Ara, who are you?" the face asked him.

"Sorry, ma'am. I am Keitaro Urashima. Wait...are you Mutsumi-chan's mother?" he asked.

"Oh! Kei-kun! I knew you were familiar! And yes, I am Mutsumi-chan's mother," she said. What are you doing all the way out here?"

"Naru-chan punched me after a crazy series of misunderstandings involving all of the other tenants," he replied.

"Do they do that every day?" Natsumi asked.

"Yes,"

"Then why don't you evict the mean ones?"

"I can't do that! They have nowhere else to go! Plus, they're my friends!"

"Ara, it seems like they are not very friendly."

"They _always_ misconceive the situations I find myself in. I'm really clumsy."

"Ara, it doesn't seem like they learned their lesson."

"..."

"Hello?"

"You're right. Granny asked me to help them get over their problems with boys. They still haven't done that."

"What are you going to do, then?"

"... I don't know yet."

"Okay. Do you need a ride home?"

"Thank you, Mrs. Otohime-san. I do need one."

"Okay. Let's go."

And so Natsumi and Keitaro went to the airport, where Natsumi paid for Keitaro's plane ride, after a debate between them.

**Back at the Hinata Dorm, 3 hours later...**

"Where is Kei-kun?" asked Mutsumi.

"I don't know. I thought he would be back by now," said Naru

"D-Do you think he left forever?" Shinobu asked, on the verge of tears.

"Don't talk like that, Shinobu-chan. Maybe he landed in Okinawa," Mutsumi said.

"Don't be ridiculous. I didn't hit him that hard. Besides, he's too nice to leave the dorm forever. He doesn't have the nerve," Naru responded to Shinobu.

"Then wh-why isn't he..." Shinobu tried to ask.

"I'M HOME!" Keitaro yelled.

"We can see that, Urashima," Motoko said with an eye roll.

"Sorry. Force of habit," he said, scratching the back of his head.

"Where did you land?" Naru asked.

"Okinawa. On Mutsumi's home's front lawn."

The girls turned to look at Naru with a look that said _really?_. "Didn't hit him that hard, eh?" Kitsune teased.

"Oh, come on, Keitaro-san. I didn't hit you _that_ hard. If you landed in Okinawa, prove it," Naru said childishly.

"Well...I smell like watermelon, don't I?" Keitaro replied.

"Yeah, you do. It smells nice," Mutsumi said.

"Yeah, but why do you smell like watermelon?" Su asked.

"Oh, Mutsumi-chan's mother was sitting on a lawn chair with a huge box filled with watermelons...and then I crashed into the box and turned the watermelons into juice," he responded.

"Oh, I see," was most of their responses.

"Oh, COME ON, GUYS! You can't really believe he crashed into Okinawa!" Naru protested.

Keitaro then pulled out his plane ticket and placed it on the table. "Well, there's my plane ticket," he said. Even Naru had to believe him with the plane ticket. "Oh. Sorry. I only meant to send you to Tokyo." she apologized.

"Apology accepted, Naru-chan," he said. This surprised everyone. Keitaro then headed to his room next.

"Well, that was odd. Normally, he would try to insist that the whole thing was his fault," Kitsune noted.

"D-Do you think you made him mad, Naru-sempai?" Shinobu asked.

"Oh, please. He doesn't have the nerve."

(-).(-)

Keitaro sat at his desk, thinking of what he would do to help the girls learn their lessons when he was distracted by a knock on his door. "Come in," he said. The door opened and Kitsune stepped in. "Hey there, Kitsune," he greeted.

"Hey there, Kei-kun. I must say I feel like a good bottle of sake," she said.

"Don't you have some in your room?"

"No," she said sadly. "I finished it all..."

"...and you want me to buy you some?" he finished, humoring her.

"Actually, I was thinking of something else..." Kitsune said mischievously. She placed one of his hands on her chest and quickly took a picture. "There. That should be good for a month's rent. Bye." She pushed his hand off her breast and left while he was still sitting there dumbfounded.

'Woah. Déjà vu.' he thought.

Once he got over the shock, Kitsune's coming into his room to con him out of rent gave him an idea for a plan that he thought would work: He calls in a group of men that contradict their beliefs of him while he went on a vacation from his duties as manager. Each of the girls has their own group due to their different beliefs. A disciplinarian would come to make sure the girls didn't get out of hand with their treatment of their group of guys while also managing the dorm. 'Perfect,' he thought. 'All I need is a disciplinarian who fits the bill. Hmm...' He went through the list of names of people he knew to see if anyone fit his needs. He remembered Tsuroko from the time he was in Kyoto with Motoko. 'She does seem like the right person...I have to call her to see if she will accept the offer.'

(-).(-)

The next day, everyone was at the Breakfast table. They were all enjoying Shinobu's food. After all, the only reason she could not be on a cooking competition show was because she was under 16. Once she got the usual praise from the residents, she smiled at them. 'She's really nice. Kind of like Mutsumi-chan. They don't deserve the punishment the other girls get. And being here would certainly be just as much a punishment as what I have planned. Maybe I should ask them to come with me. Plus, I think Shinobu-chan wants it,' Keitaro thought.

"So, is anyone not going to be here for lunch? I need a head count," the blue-haired chef asked.

"I was going to my favorite bar to get a couple drinks. I actually got some money from the horse races this time," Kitsune said. Everyone sighed at this.

"I was going to train in the mountains for the weekend," Motoko said.

"I was taking Sarah out shopping for new clothes," Naru replied. Sarah nodded in agreement.

"I'll be here," Mutsumi said.

"I'll be here," Su added.

"I still have to repair that hole," Keitaro said, pointing to the hole in the kitchen from yesterday's big misunderstanding.

"Okay. Thanks, everyone," Shinobu said.

After breakfast, everyone went their seperate ways to their rooms to prepare for what they planned. Keitaro went to get his tool box and spare materials to repair the hole, Kitsune went to get her money, Motoko went to her room to start packing, Su went to her room to start on a new invention she had planned, Mutsumi went to the living room to take a nap, Naru went to get money for shopping, Sarah went to the door to wait for Naru, and Shinobu started doing the many dishes you would get if you had a house with eight people who all love your food.

(-).(-)

**2 Hours later...**

Keitaro finished repairing the hole in the kitchen wall in only 2 hours. 'Well, I have had a lot of practice in repairing this building, what with always getting sent through the walls by Naru, Motoko, and Su,' he thought. 'Which reminds me, I should make that call I've been planning,' he added.

With that, Keitaro made his way to his room, turned off the bug that he knew Su put in everybody's rooms, and made the call to Kyoto.

"Hello?" the person on the other end asked.

"Hi. It's Keitaro Urashima. You should remember me from last month."

"Yes, I do remember you, Keitaro-san. What is wrong?"

"I need your help. Almost none of these girls here have learned enough about men to cooperate with them. It's usually quite painful for me."

"I see. So you want me to teach them these things they lack, just like you said in that conversation a month ago in my home?"

"Yes."

"Which girls are on the list?"

"Well, there's Sarah-bozu, a nine-year-old who you could probably tell the problem of from the honorific, Kitsune-chan, who always uses her charms to swindle me out of a month's rent, Naru-chan, who always jumps to conclusions and uses her temper to hit me with a punch that sends me flying over Tokyo and sometimes Americad to some trust issues between us, Su-chan, who kicks me as a greeting and builds explosive machines that kill anyone other than me (I'm special that way) for fun, and Motoko-chan, who usually thinks that all men are the world's problems and 'protects' herself using Shinmei-ryü attacks."

"..."

"Hello?" Keitaro said.

"I see. I will be there by next Saturday. Is there anything else you need to tell me?"

"Yes. If you damage any of these girls in any way, I will turn your life into a living hell. And, depending on how seriously you hurt one of them if you did, you might not survive through it. Until that time comes to pass, _if _that time comes to pass, I bear you no ill will. If you hurt them in a way that sticks for the rest of their lives, yours won't be so long. Remember, we want to teach them, not hurt them. Are we clear?"

"Yes, Keitaro-san. I will not damage them for life, I will help them learn through any non-lethal tuition,"

"Good. Also, Su-chan will not be your responsibility in this matter. You see, Su-chan's problem is one with a solution that I can carry out. She only hits me with explosives and kicks to the face because I kind of have indestructibility. She just needs to be told that I don't see it as fun and she'll stop. She is just a little bit on the childish side. We'll, that's all. Thanks for this. See you next Saturday."

"Alright, you're welcome, bye."

"Bye."

Keitaro sighed. 'It is done,' he thought.


	2. Chapter 2: What?

Hey, everyone. This is chapter two. I am happy everyone likes my first story so far. I hope you like this chapter.

Su: Hey, it's you!

Chris: Hey, where's everyone else?

Su: They went different places, remember?

Chris: Oh, right.

Su: Aren't you the author? I thought you would know.

Chris: Well...wait, aren't you in your room?

Su: I got bored, so I went looking through secret passages.

Chris: Well, it's kind of boring with just you here, what with Mutsumi sleeping and Keitaro busy fixing a hole and Shinobu cooking and everyone else out of the house, so how about you read my first story? And no, you cannot post new chapters of that story or this one. Just read.

Su: Okies. Thanks.

Chris: A quick disclaimer to the readers: I do not own Ken Akamatsu or his mangas, much less Love Hina. The only thing I own about this story is the title; the plot may be a little original, I don't know; I do not get income from this story...or at all. Also, since not everyone is a manga reader, here is a list of Japanese words. These are the ones that I will use in my stories.

-san= someone you know, used as a term of respect.

-sama=someone you know more, used typically in between family members, more respectful than -san.

-bozu=brat.

-kun=another term of respect, typically used by women to refer to men, basically their way of calling a boy cute.

-chan=same as -kun, typically used by men to refer to women, their way of calling a girl cute.

Ara= oh, my

On with the story.

|/\/\|

Keitaro sat in his room, thinking over the list of people he got into contact with just in case the girls went too far. He came up with this list when he started dating Naru. Right now, he figured that the men he knew were perfect for the job. That's when he realized that only one man under the list for each person fit the bill. 'I guess I need to tell Aunt Haruka I'm going on a vacation from my duties as manager and sending someone here in my place,' he thought. So he made his way down to his legal aunt's teahouse to break to her the news.

...

"I see. So you _did_ take her up on that offer. I'm glad you finally advocated yourself, Keitaro-sama. The girls kind of deserve a lesson for their treatment of you," Haruka said, trying to comfort him. He had just told her of his plan. "So, how are you going to solve Su's problem?"

"She needs to know how to communicate with a normal person. So, my solution is to tell her this. She may kick me around, but she usually listens to me when I tell her something. She is very obedient. This is surprising, I know," he explained. He sighed and drank more of his tea. "I can take the abuse the girls give me, but I can't stand to see that they have not learned their lesson yet. I want them to be better people. I kind of feel obligated to for all the commotion on the day I got here. I can't take seeing them in this position anymore. I feel saddened when they act as immature as to do things like yesterday's big mishap. Naru sent me to Okinawa. She couldn't even control the power of her huge punch. I can't take seeing her like this anymore. I can't take seeing any of them like this anymore," he ranted.

Deciding to change the subject, Haruka asked, "Wait, what about Mutsumi-san and Shinobu-chan? They didn't do you wrong. They helped you through the fire and the flames."

Keitaro gave her a look. "Really, Haruka-sama? Is this the time to be referencing American rock songs?" he asked.

Haruka cocked an eyebrow. "'through the fire and flames' is a reference to an American rock song?"

"Yep. Anyway, to answer your question, Shinobu-chan and Mutsumi-chan do not have to suffer through this. I will ask them if they want to come with me on my vacation. If they do, I will buy them each a ticket. If they don't, I will tell Mrs. Disciplinarian that they don't need to be taught anything and don't need to suffer through it. I will ask," he responded.

"Seems like you had this thought out. Wait, who are these guys you hired to help the girls?" Haruka asked, taking a drag from her cigarette.

"Only the most gentleman-like men I know. They are a band of Yakuza friends," he responded.

Haruka's eyes were wider than plates at that point, her cigarette on the ground. "Yakuza?! Won't they make it worse?" she asked in a shout.

"Only at first. Remember, we want them to get past appearances and actually get to know a person before taking any action. These gentlemanly Yakuza will completely offset their opinion of them from what it was originally, so they should be questioning their methods when these men tell them of their problems," Keitaro replied, calming her down.

Haruka sighed. "I hope this works, Keitaro-sama. I already have to resist hitting you with a fan if you call me aunt," she warned.

"Don't worry, these guys are serious gentlemen. I've seen them be gentlemen to a group of women once. That's how I found them," he reassured her.

(-).(-)

Monday came. Keitaro actively avoided everyone except Shinobu and Mutsumi whenever he could. Nobody noticed this for the first three days after this because he did not seem any different. Maybe a little happier, but only that, _if _that. This is why not even Naru knew he was secretly packing his suitcases with everything he owned that he could fit in there. All his clothes, notebooks, and his recently-bought study textbooks. Every night, after he knew everyone was asleep, he would continue packing his suitcases in the secret tunnel leading to his room. Finally, on Friday, he finished packing. He was trying to gather up the strength and words to tell them what was going to happen. So, the next morning, he called a meeting in the living room before he could decide that he wanted to shy out.

Once everyone was gathered, he took a deep breath. "I have an announcement. I will be taking a break from my duties as manager to go on vacation. I can't bear to stay here with no change. It hurts to see almost all of you acting so immature. I'm sorry, but I need a break from this place. I will come back, but not immediately." Everyone gasped at the announcement. Some even started crying. He walked up to a crying Shinobu to comfort her. "Hey. Shinobu-chan. I'm not mad at you. You were one of the things that kept me going so long without a break. I want to make it up to you. So...do you want to come with me?"

This is where Shinobu's face went from a sad mess to a flurry of happiness. Her face lit up, Her mouth formed a smile, and her arms formed a hug around him. He returned the hug. "Oh, Sempai. Of course I'll come with you. I can't stand to be away from you," Shinobu cried.

"Ooh, I love hugs!" Mutsumi exclaimed. She came up behind them and hugged them. Once behind him, she whispered into his ear, "Can I come too, Kei-kun?"

"I was going to ask you anyway, Mutsumi-chan. Of course you can come," he responded. She hugged him and said, "Yay!"

This got everyone's attention. Everyone saw them hug. It made Naru flare up. She ran up to punch Keitaro like usual.

"Shinobu-chan! Mutsumi-chan! Watch out!" Keitaro shouted. He pushed them to the couch to protect them. His eyes turned red and glowed more blood-red than Naru's. She punched him.

Or tried to, at that.

Naru's fist suddenly shot a jolt of pain through her. It felt as if she punched a statue. Once she was on the ground, recoiling in pain, his eyes became normal again. He looked perfectly fine. No punch marks or anything.

Keitaro sighed an annoyed sigh. "Naru-san, this is exactly the kind of immaturity I was talking about. Getting ready to punch me and fly me to the moon and back, even with two innocent bystanders hugging me. You have a lot to learn. Hopefully, the proxy manager I sent in will help with that," he stated firmly.

"H-How-How did you...?" everyone started to ask in surprised concern.

"That is a special Urashima secret. It only activates on command. I only use it in defense. Case in point: Naru-san trying to hit me with a punch that sends people flying while Mutsumi-chan and Shinobu-chan were hugging me," he explained. Then he looked down at Naru. "Consider yourself lucky that you are someone I know. If you were a killer, I might not have stopped at defending two innocent women from your blow. I might have gone further," This is where he looked up at a scared group of Hinata House residents. "Don't worry, guys. I'm not angry at any of you. Not even Naru-san. It is anger that fuels these special Urashima attacks. What I did was a defense. You are safe," he reassured them.

"Y-You're really not angry at any of us?" Sarah asked.

"No, Sarah-chan. I am not angry at any of you, despite the abuse you give me. I'm just saddened to see you guys not learn your lessons. But were still friends," he reassured them.

"Awwww...thank you, Kei-kun!" Kitsune exclaimed, running to hug him. He accepted the hug. Kitsune looked especially comfortable in Keitaro's hug. Su joined in, saying that, "it looked fun,". So Shinobu and Mutsumi joined in, as did Sarah, so that only Naru and Motoko were not in the hug.

"Hey, Naru-san, Motoko-san, aren't you going to join in?" Kitsune teased. Reluctantly, Naru joined into the hug, only to look as comfortable as everyone else. 'W-Wh-What? This is really comfortable. Is this a real hug or just some more of that "Urashima secret" stuff? Ah, who cares,' she argued mentally. Seeing Naru relax into it, Motoko decided it was safe and joined in the hug.

"Wait, who is this 'proxy manager' you sent for?" Naru asked. This killed the moment. Everyone got out of the hug.

"Oh," he said, looking at his watch. "She will be here in five...four...three...two...one...and..."

All of a sudden, the proxy manager appeared. Everyone gasped, as she just appeared out of thin air.

"Hello. Nice to see you again," was the cordial reply of the one and only Tsuruko Aoyama.

"WHAAAAAAAT?! OUR REPLACEMENT MANAGER IS MY SISTER?! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Motoko cried, running off screaming.

"...Well, I think you should give her a day or two to not get scared at your mere presence," Keitaro suggested.

"Yeah," everyone agreed.

|\/\/|

And that's chapter two of this story.

Su: WHAT? Keitaro is leaving? Awwww. (sad expression)

Chris: Hey, if it makes you feel any better, Keitaro will give you a great gift.

Su: YAY! PRESENTS!

Chris: And you'll find out next chapter what it is.

Su: Bye, internet! (demonic voice) GIVE ME PRESENT (normal voice) please!

Chris: Ooookay. Chris is signing out. Later!

(stone monkey swings and kicks Chris against the wall)

Chris: Ouch.

(screen fades to black)


	3. Chapter 3: The Great Divide

A/N: Hey, people. Haven't updated this story in, like, a week.

Su: Yeah. Don't you love us?

Chris: Actually, I was updating my other story.

Motoko: Oh. What story would that be?

Chris: My story called 'Are You Serious!'.

Naru: What's this story about?

Chris: Read it for yourself.

-Half an hour later-

Chris: Keitaro, stop bleeding!

Kitsune: Why would you write this?

Chris: It was my favorite plot.

Haruka: Why?

Chris: Well, I like stories where everyone ends up happy.

Naru: But, if you like stories where everyone ends up happy, why'd you write this?

Chris: You'll grow into the idea.

Shinobu: Um, can we get to the story? I want to be with Sempai.

Su: Yeah, and where's my gift?

Chris: Almost there, you two. Quick disclaimer: Ken Akamatsu owns Love Hina, not me. Otherwise, I would be one spoiled brat and my stories would be-

Su and Shinobu: STORY START!

|/\/\|

"So, you're going on a vacation and Tsuruko-san is going to be our manager?" Kitsune asked for confirmation. They were all sitting in the living room (with the exception of Motoko, who was still running around the house, freaking out) to discuss Keitaro's vacation. He had just explained the situation.

"Tsuruko-san _and her husband_," Keitaro corrected.

"So there will _still_ be a guy here, even with you gone? Great," Naru said gruffly.

'There would still be guys even if Tsuruko-san _didn't_ ask to bring her husband with her,' Keitaro thought. He said aloud, "Yeah. Don't worry. Nothing should have to change around here, but Tsuruko-san will change things if need be. When I come back, nothing should have to change back to what it was before her. Right, Tsuruko-san?"

"Correct, Keitaro-san. I wouldn't do anything to these girls. Besides, why would I change a perfectly great group of friends?" she confirmed.

"Awww, thanks," Su, Shinobu, Mutsumi, Kitsune, and Sarah with a blush. Naru was too moody to say anything and Motoko was freaking out still, this time trying to calm herself down.

"And you will do what you promised you'd do, correct?" Keitaro asked.

"Of course, Keitaro-san," Tsuruko confirmed.

"Great. That being said, I leave on Monday. Until I leave the house, with Shinobu-chan, Mutsumi-chan, and my suitcases, I am still the manager. This gives them some time to pack and Tsuruko-san to move in to the manager's room," Keitaro explained the procedure to them.

"Wait, Sempai, don't _you_ need to pack?" Shinobu asked, confused.

"No, I packed during the week," Keitaro answered.

"Won't they need to pack a lot if you're going away for a long time?" Sarah asked, hiding the panic in her voice. After all, she had a right to be frightened by Tsuruko, having never seen anyone able to beat Motoko at Shinmei-ryu before they dueled at Kyoto. That was the time Naru got possessed by the Hina Blade.

"I can help them with packing. After all, they are my friends, like you guys," he pointed out.

"Oh," Sarah said, disappointed at her failed attempt to find something he didn't think of. Just like everyone else, Sarah did not want to have Keitaro replaced with Tsuruko, no matter how much they knew about it. After all, nobody could replace Keitaro as Kitsune's wallet, Naru's and Motoko's practice dummy, Su's guinea pig, and Sarah's target all at the same time and still be as good at it as or better than Keitaro.

"Am _I_ in trouble?" Su asked, just as energetic as ever but with some concern littering her voice.

"No, Su, you aren't. At least, not unless you use any destructive inventions anywhere they can touch civilization," Keitaro answered.

"So, no rockets? No bombs? No Mecha-Tamas?" Su asked for clarification.

"Nothing meant to make explosions," Keitaro elaborated.

"Okay, I won't, Big Brother!" Su replied, as energetic and loyal as ever.

"As for the rest of you, Tsuruko-san won't be just your proxy manager, but she will also be your teacher. I want you girls to learn why I went away. Motoko-chan, Naru-chan, Sarah-chan, and Kitsune-chan, the four of you are the main reason I'm leaving. I can still put up with your abuse, but none of you are learning how to deal with boys that do something harmful with no harmful thoughts," he continued. Motoko stopped freaking out when she heard her name and sat on the couch. He went around to each girl as he mentioned them. "Kitsune-chan, I know you're lazy, often drunk, and used to manipulating people with charm, but boys aren't always going to let you get something out of them like me. Some of them might even want to get something out of you, like con _you_ out of money or pull pranks on _you_. Sarah-chan, you smash pottery on my head and kick me in the face. And I would tell you to stop, but you wouldn't listen to me if your life depended on it, right?"

"Oh, sorry, what was that? I wasn't listening," Sarah replied distractedly

"My point exactly," Keitaro continued. "Motoko-chan, you always assume that, just because I'm a guy and I always find myself in bad positions, you always think I'm a pervert and basically not your idea of a typical man. And Naru-chan, you're just like Motoko, but worse. You hit me so many times, you have an involuntary punch reflex."

"What? I do not!" Naru protested. Of course, then her involuntary reflex to punch Keitaro went off again and she tried smacking him in the face. He saw it coming, though, and dodged it.

"See?" Keitaro pointed out.

"Okay, fine, you have a point," she submitted.

"Why would we be the problem _now_? You never seemed bothered by Naru smacking you into orbit, Motoko hitting you with her sword, or Sarah hitting you with pots before," Kitsune asked.

"Hey! Don't forget your conning him out of money!" Naru said indignantly.

"Oh yeah, that too," Kitsune replied dismissively.

"Well, after I settled in, I found a note from Granny Hina. It said that you girls all had problems of your own with boys. At first, I denied it, but afterwards, I noticed she was right. Kitsune-chan _was_ trying to mess with boys rather than trust them, Motoko-chan _did _have a hatred for men that knew no bounds, Naru-chan _did _have a little trouble socializing. Plus, when Sarah-chan got here, I didn't think that I would get along with _her_ very well," Keitaro explained, looking to each of them as he mentioned their name. Their face fell at his gaze.

"Now, Shinobu-chan and Su-chan were also mentioned and Mutsumi-chan also had some problems. However, they have either addressed these problems and are fixing them or have fixed them. Shinobu-chan's more open to others, Mutsumi-chan is still a nice girl, even with her health, and Su-chan has fixed her family issues and can fix what she has left.

"But don't think that what you haven't fixed has made you bad people to me. None of you deserve my anger. I don't hate any of you; I just want you to become better people. I'm still just the same old Keitaro you know and…well, however you feel about me. And, to me, you're all the same girls I've known for a while."

Their faces lit up a little at hearing that Keitaro didn't hate them, but that did not ease their worries. 'How long will I last with _her_ as manager? She certainly isn't as easy as the dork,', 'What does he mean, "we haven't learned our problems"? Am I too drunk right now to understand this?', 'Great, that idiot is going away and is replaced by a person more intensive than Motoko's sister,', and 'At least Urashima doesn't hate us. I couldn't take the shame if I earn the anger of a man such as him,' were the thoughts on the minds of Sarah, Kitsune, Naru, and Motoko.

"I'm sorry," Keitaro said. Nobody needed to ask what he meant; everyone could gather that he didn't want this.

…

The next morning came, and every occupant of the house woke up slowly and groggily for a change. Mutsumi and Shinobu were up all night thinking of this opportunity to get away from the dangers of all the girls at the Hinata-Sou with the man of their dreams to somewhere far away. Just herself, a friend, and him. To them, the only thing better than this would be if they were alone and their friend didn't come along. That way, they could be alone with her Sempai/Kei-kun. Still, they were happy to have an opportunity as close to that as this.

Tsuruko, on the other hand, was disappointed in all the other tenants, Motoko in particular. She was a warrior of the Shinmei-ryu school of martial arts, the members of which possessed discipline that got its own legend, and she could barely contain her anger to her mind. If nobody had learned a lesson of their treatment of a fine young gentleman, she would teach them. Fortunately for them, Keitaro told her not to hurt them for life, so she would have to pull out only half of all the stops she has.

Every other tenant was up all night for different reasons. Keitaro was up thinking of all of what had to be done, making preparations and accommodations, planning them for tommorrow. Su was thinking about Shinobu's food, disappointed that there wouldn't be much more of her meals since she was leaving with Keitaro, but at the same time happy that her 'big brother' didn't hate her and wasn't angry with anyone.

The four reasons for Keitaro's plan to vacation who-knew-where with Mutsumi and Shinobu were troubled, to say the absolute least. Naru's general train of thought was something like, 'It will probably be better with a _female_ manager for an all-girl dorm than _that_ idiot. She'll probably fit the bill as manager better than _him_. After all, with no pervert "tripping" just to stare where the sun shouldn't shine or to grope one of us, life should be much better around here.' Yet the thing she denied vehemently, even in thought, was the few gaps that she knew Tsuruko could never fill once Keitaro had left.

Motoko didn't fare so well either. She was thinking, 'Why would Urashima do this to us? Him leaving is definitely a good thing, but replacing himself with my sister? Plus, he did not specify a time for his absence. *sigh* Why did I ever know such a coward as him? Running from his duties as manager here just because he is a pervert? My life will be much better with a lecherous pervert not in it, but my sister? She will almost _kill_ me if she found out I beat up a man in justice. She would not understand. She has no clue what men are _really_ like under their gentleman facades,' she thought, yawning for quite a while.

Kitsune was practically running on fumes for all the sleep she got the previous night. Her waking thoughts were, 'Why is he doing this? He said we "haven't learned our lessons yet". He told me that I mess with boys instead of trusting them. Why would he say that? Well, I have tricked boys into buying me things or into pranks that didn't need much planning. Maybe he _was_ right. Maybe I really am only a trickster to men.'

Sarah was the worst of them all. She was as groggy as though she hadn't slept for two days. She was the only one to even remotely want to apologize to Keitaro because she finally realized she didn't even _try_ to give him a hard time, more like an instinctual response to his face. She basically thought, 'I really wish I could take it all back. I _was_ part responsible for him having a hard time here. Now that I think about it, why do I feel as though I was one of the mature ones here?'

Apparently, they all thought Keitaro was capable of that kind of thought process, where everyone who wrongs you gets some of your anger.

When everyone arrived at the breakfast table, their emotions shone clearly on their face. Keitaro's face was one of hope. Hope that, by his return, they would have learned their lessons that he could not teach them. Shinobu was much, MUCH happier than usual, what with the trip with her Sempai. Mutsumi was more relaxed than usual, being happy about the trip, like Shinobu. Sarah was looking sorry for once, having realized just how badly she messed up. Kitsune was picking at her meal, obviously sad to some degree. Motoko was silent and tried to remain stoic, however ruined with flustered confusion that mask became whenever she looked at Keitaro. Naru looked like she was avoiding Keitaro's gaze, as if she was too good for him. Overall, nobody could look at Keitaro normally. Not even Mutsumi, the calmest of them all.

…

Nobody thought that Monday would come, but, twenty-seven hours and three unhappy meals later, Keitaro, Mutsumi, and Shinobu were walking down the stairs, suitcases in hand, and a watermelon-like purse, in the case of Mutsumi. Everyone else was standing at the top of the steps, Tsuruko and her husband, who recently arrived, in the middle. Despite their feelings towards him at that given point, they waved to him, telling him to visit soon.

"Bye! Don't forget to feed Tama-chan!" Keitaro yelled back. Just then, though, Tama came flying out from behind Motoko with a small suitcase in hand.

"I think she wants to come with you!" Kitsune yelled back. The three on the steps turned around to see the turtle flying towards them at that moment. They smiled at the sight and continued down once Tama caught up to them.

When the group of four was out of range of the steps, everyone headed inside, the last ones outside being Tsuruko and her husband.

"Do you think he'll come back soon or in a while?" her husband asked.

"Yo-sama, I know Keitaro. He's going to give them time. To heal and to learn," she answered in a low, serious voice. "But I would suggest you take in this experience. Living in an all-girls dorm with your wife. Sounds like a crazy experience to _me_," she added jokingly.

"Yeah. I'll bet you that, if I told this to my cousin, she would _freak out_! I mean, seriously, the only guys she doesn't attack are either in the family or try to stay away as much as possible," he joked, continuing the joke chain and getting a slight chuckle from her.

"Tell me about it. I would try to keep this from Motoko if she didn't already know about it," Tsuruko mused, now playing along more comfortably now that the tenants were gone. They both started laughing a little harder.

Inside the Hinata, someone saw this. Saw them laughing. Her eyes widened in disbelief. 'No…why?!'

**Meanwhile, in Kyoto city**

Keitaro, Mutsumi, Shinobu, and Tama had just arrived at the place in Kyoto that Keitaro had picked out for his vacation. It was a hotel room, a large hotel room, with a huge couch, a bed big enough for the whole Hinata gang to sleep on comfortably, without touching someone else, plus room to spare. The TV was big too, almost like a small movie theater. There was even a kitchen, a balcony, and an enormous bathroom, easily big enough for all three of them to use it at once. They wouldn't, obviously, but they could if they wanted to.

"S-Sempai, this room is _huge_! Where did you find this place?" Shinobu asked.

"Myu!" Tama said in surprise, marveling at the room all the same.

"Ara, you said it, Tama-chan," Mutsumi replied. "Kei-kun, this is incredible! How did you _afford_ this?" she continued, turning to Keitaro.

"Well, I called to make my reservation. They asked for my name, which I gave, and they told me my great-grandfather was a family friend and a city power back when this place was built. He was great friends with the family who built and ran this hotel. One room, this one, was dedicated to him. Apparently, he made one wish in his will that his son-in-law use it. Well, apparently, he couldn't use it because he was busy in the hospital most of his life, what with having HIV, so he adopted my mother, who fell in love with someone, my dad. Neither of them knew about this suite, so apparently, I get to use it for free with whomever I bring. And that's you two. Three, including Tama-chan. In fact, he wanted to meet me and my friends in person," he explained.

Then Shinobu looked at the pamphlet on the nightstand. It read 'Welcome to the Romance Suite'. This caused quite the blush to appear all over her face. Mutsumi noticed this and went over to where she was, causing Keitaro to follow because they were still in conversation.

"Hey, Shinobu-chan, what are you-" Mutsumi started. Then she started blushing as madly as Shinobu when she saw what she was looking at.

"Hey, Mutsumi-chan, Shinobu-chan, what are you…looking…at?" Keitaro asked, slowing down when he got a look at the pamphlet his two friends were holding. He also started blushing, albeit he was blushing more out of embarrassment than out of the implications of the pamphlet. "Oops. I guess _that's_ why Keisuke Urashima wanted his family to use this suite. Sorry. Heheh," he said, scratching the back of his head, embarrassed. The two fainted, Mutsumi out of poor health and Shinobu out of the pamphlet's meaning, leaving Keitaro frantically worrying about them.

**|| |Five minutes later, same room| ||**

Shinobu woke up in the bed of the romance suite, wondering what happened. Then she remembered: she fainted when she found out that the room she would stay in with Keitaro and Mutsumi was a romance suite dedicated to Keitaro's family solely for the purpose of romance with a girl. The image almost made her faint again and left her lightheaded. However, she managed to stay conscious and checked her surroundings. Keitaro was on the couch, watching TV. About a foot away from her in the bed was an unconscious Mutsumi. Then she saw Mutsumi stir and open her eyes. They made eye contact and saw their close proximity. Blushing, they backed away from each other on the bed a little.

"Oh, good, you're alright," Keitaro said, seemingly oblivious to the growing blushes on their face. "You two just fainted on me. Are you okay?" he added, concerned.

"I'm fine, Sempai," Shinobu said.

"I'm okay, Kei-kun," Mutsumi added.

"Good. So, what do you two want to do now?" Keitaro asked.

"How about watching TV?" Shinobu and Mutsumi suggested eagerly at the same time.

"Okay," Keitaro said. The two of them joined him on the couch to watch the anime Keitaro was watching about a boy living in an all-girls dormitory.

"You know, this looks kind of like what happened the first day you came to the Hinata-Sou, Sempai," Shinobu noted.

"It does, doesn't it?" he said. The three of them started laughing.

**|| |Ten-o'clock, the romance suite| ||**

The three of them were preparing to go to bed. Shinobu was in her pajamas, Mutsumi was in her night robe, and Keitaro was brushing his teeth in his night shirt and night pants. Shinobu and Mutsumi were sitting on the couch, simply waiting for Keitaro. Tama was already asleep on the nightstand. Shinobu and Mutsumi were trying to work out sleeping arrangements. After all, there was only one bed.

"So, it's very simple. On the first six days of the week, one of us will sleep on the couch and the other will sleep on the bed with Sempai. You'll take the bed with him on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday, and I'll take the bed with him Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and on Saturday we'll both sleep on the couch. Do you know the plan?" Shinobu explained, asking for confirmation.

"Yes. Wait, can you repeat what you said after 'it's very simple'?" Mutsumi asked, clearly confused.

Shinobu groaned in frustration. "Mutsumi-sempai, I already explained the whole plan five times. You get the bed with him on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday, and the couch with me on Saturday. Uuuunnngh, this is impossible! We'll never get these sleeping arrangements down!" she groaned in frustration.

"What sleeping arrangements?" Keitaro asked. He was completely oblivious to the plan, having just come out of the bathroom.

"Oh, uh, I-I came up with a plan so we could decide when I sleep in the bed and when Mutsumi-sempai sleeps in the bed," Shinobu said hesitantly.

"Well, I have a solution. H-How about...you _both_ sleep with me tonight? It solves the problem," Keitaro suggested.

"Uhhhh..." Shinobu tried to form words.

"I'm okay with that, Kei-kun," Mutsumi said.

"Well...okay," Shinobu finally said those two words.

They all climbed into the bed, blushing a little. After all, he suggested it to make her happy. Finally, they settled in. But no one could sleep. They were all a little..._new_ to the situation at hand. Everyone was really shy. Nobody had the courage to speak. Finally, however, Shinobu asked a question on her mind.

"H-Hey, Sempai?" she asked.

"Yeah?" he yawned.

"How did you do it?" Shinobu asked, voice dripping with curiosity.

"W-Well, it's kind of a secret. But I will tell you if you promise to keep a secret," Keitaro answered, now very awake and serious.

"I promise, Sempai," Shinobu said.

"Me too, Kei-kun," Mutsumi added.

"Okay. Well, here goes...I can use _ki _energy, just like Motoko-chan," he said, a little quickly.

"_Ki _energy?" both girls asked at the same time.

|\/\/|

And that's chapter three, everyone.

Motoko: WHAT? YOU GAVE HIM KI ENERGY?

Chris: I didn't _give_ him ki energy; he has had it for a while.

Naru: OH, DON'T YOU GIVE ME THAT **** MISTER! YOU'RE KNEE DEEP IN IT ALREADY!

Chris: I can see that. Besides, it's not like you will know in the story. Besides, you guys are going to get some tutelage in what you're doing wrong.

Motoko: THAT'S IT! YOU'RE DEAD!

Chris: Oh, no.

(Chris gets beaten up with every imaginable hit)

-One hour later-

Chris: Really? You had to make a new sword?

Motoko: It doesn't help that you have a thick skull.

Naru: Yeah, don't think you're off the hook, mister.

Chris: Yeah. Well, goodbye readers.


	4. Chapter 4: The Night Away and Crazy Day

A/N: Hey guys. I'm back.

Su: HEY! WHERE'S MY GIFT?

Chris: Don't worry, he hasn't given it to you yet.

Su: I WANT GIFT!

Chris: And you'll get it. Just calm down.

Su: Well...okay.

Chris: Wow. I did _not_ think that was going to work!

Naru: Hey, what are you doing that face for?

(Chris snaps his fingers; Naru falls and lands on Motoko, accidentally grabbing her, and Motoko trips and lands on Kitsune)

Kitsune: HEY! WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?

Chris: Now _that_ is one really ironic joke!

Su: Yeah, I suppose so.

Keitaro: Why'd you do that?

Chris: Well, I thought I'd be the practical joker for once. And it was worth it! (starts laughing)

Naru: YOU SICKO!

Motoko: LET US GET UP SO WE CAN OBLITERATE YOU!

Chris: I'm not stopping you. All I did was distract Naru, which made her fall over. I didn't do anything.

(The three girls blush and get up)

Naru: That was _not_ funny!

Kitsune: Why did you _really_ do it? Naru just did something very Keitaro-like to Motoko-oh, now I get it.

Naru and Motoko: I DON'T! GET BACK HERE, YOU LITTLE BRAT!

Chris: You _do _know that I'm taller than you, right?

Su: Yeah, how are you so tall?

Chris: I have no idea, but it isn't just me using 'author powers'.

Sarah: Wait, so you're actually taller than Motoko in real life?

Chris: Yep. Anyway, I'm going to pause the action here so I can disclaim.

(Chris snaps fingers and everything freezes)

Chris: Quick disclaimer: I do not legally own, co-own, or get involved in Love Hina outside of Fanfiction. I do not make profit or income from this story. I can't, either. Also, the honorifics I use are used as I understand how to use them. I would make them more accurate, but I'm only eight and I can't understand the wiki page for the life of me. Anyway, now to unfreeze the action while I write so I can let them beat me up. After all, the Naru and Motoko we know is the Naru and Motoko we love to see people get smacked around by! Don't worry, I'm the author.

(Chris snaps fingers, everyone unfreezes, Naru and Motoko start beating up Chris)

Chris: Story-ow-start!

|/\/\|

"_Ki_ energy?" Shinobu asked. They were in the bed of the romance suite from the end of last chapter. Read the last scene from then if you think that they did something sexual.

"What's _ki_ energy?" Mutsumi asked.

"_Ki _energy is the force of life," Keitaro started, more like a wise sage than the old Keitaro. "You see, everyone makes _ki_ energy in everything they do. Whether it's sleeping or running from someone or even staring at a wall, _ki_ builds up in a person's body. However, _ki_ energy is what makes you grow. Some of it is used to grow, the rest is used to run your body. Why do you think the heart muscles never tire? However, only an extremely small portion naturally goes to growth, which is why people grow so slowly.

"But some people make more _ki_ than others. I am one of those people. Motoko-chan's sister is one of those people. In fact, you two are also producing more _ki_ than any of the girls at the Hinata-Sou. It really all depends on their emotions. You see, some emotions amplify the amount of _ki _your body produces exponentially while others hinder it. Wait, hold on, I'm going to make a light so we can talk a little easier than in the dark." He took a deep breath and his hand started to glow blue. Gradually, it went from a faint blue glow to a light as bright as the lamp in the room.

"Whoa!" Shinobu and Mutsumi exclaimed at the same time.

"That's better. So, anyway, some people are born with more _ki_ than others, too. I was apparently one of those people. When I was young, My aunt Haruka told me I was born with lots of _ki_. She had this same conversation with me. And when she told me I had to learn to control it. I agreed and took a training course. I learned some martial arts that teach discipline, including Shinmei-ryu. You know, the _ki_-based martial art Motoko and her sister know? The one Motoko uses a lot? Yeah, _that_ one. My family insisted that I learn the offensive martial arts as well as the defensive. I agreed to give some of them a trial run. I learned _kendo, _swordsmanship, _karate, kyudo, _and _kung fu_. Then my family suggested I try _Shinmei-_ryu. When I learned it, I was tested by my sensei. When he rushed at me, I hit him so hard, I knocked him across the room. He got up and started attacking me. After all, he was testing me. But, when he got to me, I...I nearly killed him. I used a move he taught me, but it went horribly wrong. I remember that he cannot even walk now because of me. I don't even want to remember what he looked like." This is where he started crying. "I remember saying this," he said. He held his glowing hand, and the girls were seeing a young boy, about seven years old. He was on his knees, eyes already starting to tear up. They were looking at Keitaro's flashback, they realized.

"_No. What have I DONE?! NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"_ was what the little boy said, breaking into sobs and tears. The girls looked past him to see a gruesome sight: a man, twenty years old, in a position that would make a pretzel straight in comparison. Shinobu and Mutsumi were scared. Then, the image was pulled away from their minds.

"After that, I swore to only learn martial arts that left the enemy unhurt. So now, I know _aikido_, _jujutsu_, _judo_, and _Shinmei-ryu_. I also learned everything I just explained to you about _ki_, including how to control and use it.Plus, I know many weapons' arts, but I don't use them often. Now, what I mainly do in defense is a _ki_ shield I made. That's what you saw on Saturday," he finished.

"Wow, Sempai. I didn't know your past was _that _involved," Shinobu said.

"Hey, Kei-kun, if you're able to defend yourself, why _don't_ you defend yourself from Naru-san or Motoko-san?" Mutsumi asked.

"Well, you see, I want them to be as happy as possible, so, instead of using my _ki _shield against their hits, causing them pain, which you saw, I'd rather use it to break my fall. That's why I act so stupid all the time: to not let them realize how I save myself from death every day and to not worry about me. To give them a reason to not ask about it."

"Wait, 'save yourself from death'? What does that mean?" Mutsumi asked.

"I mean that I save myself from getting murdered by them. They hit me with enough power to kill me, but I use my _ki_ to break my fall and heal myself when I land. In truth, Motoko's sword slices and Naru's punches leave scars and bruises on me." With that explanation, Keitaro pulled up his shirt to show them the scars and bruises that still remained from all the secret techniques and punches he used to receive often. Both girls winced.

"Ara, those look awful," Mutsumi noted, eyes wide open in concern.

"Yeah. And these are just the ones I can show you," Keitaro said.

"Sempai, you seem so mature about this. W-Why?" Shinobu asked.

"I put on that hapless attitude to fool them. _That_ Keitaro might freak out at this news. But I am not really that person. It was another illusion to fool them away from the truth. I am really how I am now. When the stakes weren't that high, such as when Naru-chan would hit me for 'being a pervert', I acted as that clueless man so they wouldn't be searching for a truth I didn't want them to find. However, when the stakes are not so low, such as when she was about to hit me after both of you started hugging me, which could have _killed_ the both of you, I used my _ki_ to absorb the impact, meaning it probably felt like hitting a stone statue to her. I became mature when I discussed with the girls about their problems. Basically, I get serious when the situation becomes serious," he explained.

"I-Is it possible for us to learn how to control our _ki,_ Kei-kun?" Mutsumi asked, sounding interested.

"Actually, it is. Do you two want to learn how?" he asked.

"Yes, Sempai," Shinobu replied.

"Yes, Kei-kun," Mutsumi asked.

Keitaro smiled. Then he looked at the clock, which read 11:30. "We should go to sleep," he said, putting out the light in his hand, he fell asleep, exuding a comforting aura of calmness and sleepiness. He was out like a light.

The girls, on the other hand, waited to make sure Keitaro was asleep. When they heard a snore, they both cuddled up to him. That's when they were out like a light.

**Meanwhile, at the Hinata-Sou**

"So, does anybody want to explain the reason Keitaro-san had to call _me_ to handle you girls?" Tsuruko asked sternly. She just came inside from the conversation with her husband outside. Everyone was somber, to say the least. All of them, even Sarah, was sad-looking. Nobody wanted to answer her question, even though they all knew the answer.

"Will anybody answer the question?" Tsuruko asked again, still stern.

After a few moments, just before Tsuruko was about to turn that sentence into a threat, someone spoke up. She said, "Well, I...I...I was nothing but a brat to him, and I never listened to him at all," were Sarah's shame-filled words. She started to tear up.

"Thank you, Sarah-san. At least _you_ can say the truth," Tsuruko said comfortingly, shooting a glare at the other girls. "You are my favorite girl so far. As for the rest of you, if you will not admit the truth, I will. Kitsune-san, I believe you always liked to prank our manager at his expense. Is this true? What about conning him out of money or taking advantage of his kindness to escape having to pay rent? Do you deny any of these things?" Tsuruko said sternly. Kitsune's eyes were open fully, looking down at the floor.

"No. No, I don't," Kitsune said sadly, actually sounding sorry for once. This surprised everyone there in the room.

"I can see that you're sorry," Tsuruko said sympathetically. "I'll deal with you later. Now, Motoko-sama, why have you been using our family techniques on an innocent, unarmed man?" Tsuruko asked, more sternly than before.

"B-B-But S-Sister, I wasn't using them on an innocent man, I was using them on Urashima-san..." Motoko started to protest.

"That claim does not excuse the fact that he was unarmed. Also, are you sure he wasn't innocent? He has shown me how clumsy he is, and that he is not perverted. He showed me he wouldn't do anything inappropriate without permission, and even if it was consented, he would still be very hesitant. He has shown me this," Tsuruko ranted at her sister.

"Oh, no! Don't tell me he took advantage of _you_ too, big sister!" Motoko said, drawing her sword.

But Tsuruko opened Motoko's hand, causing her to drop _Shisui_, her sword. But she didn't even touch Motoko.

"He did not take advantage of me, Motoko-sama. I would have allowed it, given the state I saw him in, but he did nothing. He was too uncomfortable around a girl, so I simply hugged him. Guess how he got to my house. He landed a few acres from the Shinmei-ryu dojo. After one of _your_ freak punches," Tsuruko admitted gently, putting venomous emphasis on the words 'your freak punches', turning to Naru. This, combined with Tsuruko opening Motoko's hand without touching it but visibly being the cause of it, got a surprised look from everyone. Tsuruko, however, ignored it.

"Naru-san, you are the worst. You are using an uncontrolled punch on a man who you didn't know could defend himself. He is very lucky his body is tougher than an average person, or he would have _died_. You _did_ consider this, didn't you?" Tsuruko asked facetiously.

"S-So what if I did? All those times, he deserved it! He was peeping in on us and groping us whenever he could! If you ask me, he was making a death wish," Naru said indignantly.

"And _that_ gives you permission to hit him? With an overpowered punch that would kill a normal person?" Tsuruko asked.

"Yes! If I don't knock some sense into that idiot, who will?" Naru argued.

"Who said he needed sense knocked into him? I'm going to let you in on a fact. Those...were...ACCIDENTS!" Tsuruko yelled.

"Motoko-san, why are you hiding behind the couch?" Sarah asked innocently. Su and Kitsune were just as confused.

"Quick, hide! The last person who made her yell now lies in the graveyard near Tokyo. And they were in Okinawa!" Motoko panicked, gesturing frantically for the three of them to get behind the couch.

"Wait, do you mean she killed him and sent him to Tokyo?" Kitsune asked, looking horrified.

"No, she hit him hard enough to send him to the graveyard directly. His grave buried itself!" Motoko answered very frantically, gesturing faster and more frantically than before. The three of them got behind the couch, scared, just like Motoko.

"Naru-san, you are extremely immature! You don't even bother to ask 'What is going on here?', do you? You always just punch your problem away, whether he can survive or not! You never care to notice what it does to the person on the receiving end, do you?!" Tsuruko ranted vehemently, eyes glowing with white pupils. Naru wasn't so courageous anymore. Instead of inching forward, she was backing _away_.

"There's no way even _Naru_-san wouldn't be scared by that. I can't think of anyone that would be able to look at her in that state and not show fear," Motoko said, half-fearing for Naru, half-scared out of her wits.

"You...IDIOT!" Tsuruko said, charging at Naru with blink speed. That's when she slapped Naru.

Hard.

Naru grimaced from the force of the slap. There was so much power, she spun around three times before falling down to the ground.

"Tsuruko-san! Why did you slap Naru that hard? Also, _how_ did you slap Naru that hard?" Kitsune asked, panicking a little.

"_How_ is a secret, but _why_...well, she needed to learn part of how it felt to be Keitaro, had he been defenseless from the ground," Tsuruko explained.

"But he _is_ defenseless. He's defenseless from everything. He always falls prey to Naru and me," Motoko said hesitantly, not wanting to invoke her wrath on herself.

Luckily, her wrath was not directed to her, as her eyes were back to normal. "No, he isn't. How do you think he survives being launched around the world in less than a day multiple times day-to-day?" Tsuruko asked, calmer than a few seconds ago but still stern.

"Umm...he's indestructible," Kitsune stated matter-of-factly.

"Oh, please. 'He's indestructible'? Do you hear yourself? Nobody is indestructible. Not even him. I know this more than any of you do. He's not indestructible. His body may be tougher than most people, but not tough enough to withstand landing in faraway places at speeds only asteroids from space approach every day?" Tsuruko said, cooling down by the second.

"Then how does he survive Naru's punches?" Kitsune asked, now concerned.

"He asked me to keep _that_ a secret," Tsuruko answered.

"Now, I have an unrelated question. Why were you and your husband laughing after Keitaro-san left?" was the question of one certain person.

Motoko.

"Oh, you heard that, huh? Well, we were joking around, unrelated to Keitaro-san leaving," Tsuruko replied.

"Oh. I thought you tricked him into going away like that solely to punish us," Motoko responded.

"You really think I would do that? No, don't be ridiculous," Tsuruko mused.

"Yes, I actually did. Sorry," Motoko admitted sheepishly.

"Oh, Motoko-sama. You always assumed the worst," Tsuruko said jokingly.

"Ya got that right!" Su said, causing everyone to laugh.

"Hey, Sarah-san, why do you look so sad?" Tsuruko asked once the laughter died down, concerned.

"Well, when I first got here, I could not care less what that dork felt. Of course, he eventually grew on me. But, before now, I never realized that my joking around caused him so much trouble," Sarah admitted, serious and crying. This got everyone's attention. It even woke Naru up.

"Hey, didn't you always tune out whenever he started talking, too?" Naru asked, nursing the cheek that was slapped.

"I was joking. I actually heard him tell me I don't listen to him and that that was one reason he left. I never realized just how much that hurt him. I was only tuning out at first, but now I listen to him," Sarah explained, in tears.

Nobody could speak after that. Nobody was expecting _that_, least of all from Sarah. Nobody could speak. Then Tsuruko decided to hug Sarah to comfort her. Sarah's face changed instantly. She looked happy and comfortable now.

"It's okay, child. Everything's going to be okay," Tsuruko said gently, patting Sarah on the back. Sarah slowly drifted off to sleep. Once she did, Tsuruko put her gently down on the couch.

"Wow, Tsuruko-san. You are really good with children," Kitsune noted.

"Thank you, Kitsune-san," Tsuruko thanked her. "I've had practice."

"Wait, you already have kids?" Motoko asked.

"Nope," came a voice from the door. Everyone turned their heads to look at the doorway. They were looking at Tsuruko's husband.

"Who are you?! This is an all-girls dorm! Get out!" Motoko shouted, charging at Tsuruko's husband. "SECRET TECHNIQUE: THUNDERCLAP SWORD!" she shouted, her blade lighting with lightning.

He simply put his hands up in front of him calmly. His hands glowed the same color as mud. Then Motoko's blade was swung forward, to where his head was.

But it never touched him.

Motoko's blade was stuck in front of his eyes, him not even flinching from the proximity. She tried, with all her strength, to make her blade move towards his eyes. But she couldn't. She kept trying to push the blade, but it remained suspended in midair. He just crossed his arms, waiting for her to be done.

When she was exhausted from pushing the blade, she let go. The blade was stuck in midair, right in front of his eyes, as if stuck in a wall.

"You done yet?" he asked in an annoyed voice.

"Alright, fine. You win this time, trespasser," she submitted vehemently.

"Good. Don't want you to get exhausted, sister-in-law," he said. Everyone except Tsuruko gasped.

"'S-Sister-in-law'?" Motoko asked.

"As he was saying before you so rudely attacked him, Motoko-sama, he is my husband. Everyone, this is Yoshio Aoyama," she introduced.

"Wait, did you marry your _brother_?" Kitsune asked Tsuruko, making everyone blush at this notion.

"No. You see, girls, I took _her_ surname. I wanted her to still be happy, so I gave up my surname for her," Yoshio explained, smiling at them.

"Aw, that's so sweet," Su said, running up to him the same way she runs up to everyone.

"Ah, and who might you be, little girl?" Yoshio asked playfully.

"Oh, I am Kaolla Su, nice to meet you! This is Sarah McDougal-san, Kitsune-san, and Naru-san. You obviously already met Motoko-san. How are you?" She introduced everyone and shook his hand.

"Okay, how...how did you do that? How did you stop my sword?" Motoko asked, concerned.

"I stopped it with my _ki_ energy," he explained.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAT?" Motoko yelled. Everyone just stared at her, confused.

**|| |The next day, the romance suite| ||**

Shinobu woke up to find herself cuddling someone. She remembered last night, when she decided to cuddle Keitaro after he went to sleep following that long explanation with that really cool glowing hand. She looked over to the person she was cuddling. Her face formed a blush immediately.

"Shinobu-chan, why are you holding me?" came the voice of Mutsumi.

Shinobu let go immediately, blushing more profusely than before.

"Sorry, Mutsumi-sempai, I think I cuddled you in my sleep when he got out of the bed, not knowing it wasn't Sempai. Now, can you let go of me?" Shinobu explained, blushing more at that question.

"Hmm? Oh, sorry. I think I cuddled you for the same accident," she said. "Speaking of which, where is Kei-kun?" she asked, looking around, trying to find him. Then they heard the stove running. Together, they went to the kitchen.

What they saw was Keitaro cooking breakfast.

"Oh, girls, you're finally up. Good. Breakfast is almost done," he said, looking back at them.

"Oh, t-thank you, Sempai," Shinobu said, taking a seat at the table.

"Ooh, are you making breakfast, Kei-kun?" Mutsumi asked.

"Yeah, I'm making eggs and bacon," Keitaro said.

"What's bacon?" Shinobu asked.

"It's very good. I think you're going to like it," Keitaro said.

"Cool. Wait, how are you cooking on the table?" Mutsumi asked. They stared at the pan that was sitting on the table, somehow sizzling.

"Oh, I figured I'd try using my _ki_ again. It's been a while since I've used my _ki_ to do anything besides cushion my fall, so I wanted to try it again. Plus, it will help with today's _ki _lesson. Oh, it's done," Keitaro said, grabbing a spatula and opening the pot. He took out three servings of eggs and six strips of bacon. He put two strips of bacon on everyone's plate on top of their eggs.

**After the meal**

"Wow, Kei-kun. That was a great meal!" Mutsumi commented.

"And that bacon was delicious!" Shinobu complimented.

"Well, thanks. Did you notice its energetic effect? That's something _ki_-cooked food does," Keitaro said.

"Well, that would explain why I'm not groggy anymore," Mutsumi said.

"I know, right? It's been a while since I got that energetic boost from _ki_-cooked food," Keitaro admitted.

"M-My food is still good, right?" Shinobu asked nervously.

"Of course, Shinobu-chan. You just don't use _ki_ in your food. Your food still tastes better than mine, though," Keitaro complimented.

"T-Thank you, Sempai!" Shinobu said, her face becoming a smile.

Keitaro smiled back. "So, are you girls ready to start learning how to manipulate your _ki_?" he asked.

"Sure. I'll join you after I wash the dishes," Shinobu said.

"Actually, we used paper plates. I forgot to take out the real ones last night," Keitaro said, scratching the back of his head.

"...Sorry, force of habit," Shinobu said. Then they laughed.

After they all threw away their paper plates and cleaned the table, they all sat down in the living room. "So, what are we learning first, Kei-kun?" Mutsumi asked.

"A warning. You can't reveal this to anyone, or else you two might be in serious trouble. Do you two still want to learn?" he said.

"Yes. Yes, I do. What's first?" both the girls said at the same time.

"How to see your _ki_," Keitaro responded. Then he explained, "Now, before I start, let me say that _ki_ is able to take on many forms. It's kind of like clay. If it can be made, _ki_ can make it. Now, close your eyes and try to think of your friends and their good points. It should be a little easier because of the _ki_-cooked breakfast," he instructed. "Now, have you done this?" he asked.

"Yes, Sempai," Shinobu said.

"Yes, Kei-kun," Mutsumi said.

"Now, open your eyes. Remember, good emotions are the key," he instructed.

They opened their eyes, which had blue pupils now that they could see the _ki_ around them.

"Whoa! I can see so much blue-glowing energy coming off of you and Shinobu-chan, Kei-kun! What is the blue energy?" Mutsumi asked.

"That is _ki _energy. At least, it's all of the overall _ki_ from that source. With different thoughts, you can see the different parts of their _ki_. Alright, now try to think of how you feel about me. You will be able to see what emotions I feel. This is called _ki _empathy. It's like empathy, only you need to get permission from the person you are trying to read. You can do this with any person. For someone else, just think of something about _them_, not me. It should get easier with practice, and eventually, you will be able to see someone's buried emotions. But, don't do this without permission, even then," Keitaro explained.

"Got it, Sempai," Shinobu confirmed. The two girls started to visibly focus.

"Aw, Kei-kun, that is so _sweet_! You think all of us Hinata House girls are beautiful? Even Sarah-chan?" Mutsumi asked.

"Yes. What do you think?" he responded.

"T-Thank you, Sempai!" Shinobu said. She made a move to hug him. So did Mutsumi. In a group hug, Shinobu and Mutsumi heard a voice in their head. It was Keitaro's.

'So, do you two want to learn how to use _ki_ telepathy now? It's what I'm doing now,' they heard.

"Kei-kun, is that you?" Mutsumi asked, looking around.

'Yep. Do you want to learn how to use this telepathy?' they heard his voice.

"Yes, please, Sempai," Shinobu responded.

'Okay, now you just have to _want _to communicate using telepathy with the person you want to communicate with,' he explained telepathically.

'Okay, how's this? Hey, I can hear my voice in your mind!' Shinobu said with telepathy.

'Wow, this is amazing, Kei-kun! Now I can talk to you with my mind!' Mutsumi said mentally, using the telepathy.

'Did you know you can interact with any part of nature with _ki_? All you have to do is think about what you want to do and what you want to do it _on_. You give it a try. Try lifting one of the magazines off of the table,' he instructed telepathically.

The girls did as instructed. They looked in awe as they somehow managed to lift a magazine without touching it.

'Wow, Sempai. This is amazing! Have you been able to do this all this time?' Shinobu thought.

'Yeah, but I don't want the other girls to find out and freak out, or they'll blame many an accident on me, even if they aren't my fault. Then, they'll become too uncomfortable around me, and I'd have to leave for their sake,' Keitaro explained. 'Speaking of them, let's see what they are up to right now. All you have to do here is imagine the Hinata-Sou and everybody in it,'

'Whoa, I can see Naru-san is eating breakfast still, but she's not even eating,' Mutsumi said.

'_Kitsune-san, can't I just have a piece of toast? Your cooking stinks. No offense,'_ they heard her say.

'_Sorry, Naru-san. I don't think we have any toast_,' they heard Kitsune say.

'What? We _do_ still have toast!' Shinobu said.

'_Who said that?_' they heard Kitsune say. At this, Shinobu's face became startled

'_What? Who said what?_' Naru asked, confused and looking around.

'_Oh, sorry, Naru-san. I could have sworn that I just heard Shinobu-chan's voice in my head just now telling me that we _do _have toast,'_ Kitsune explained.

'_Pfft, yeah, right, Kitsune-san. You're losing it. But seriously, did this _voice _tell you where it was?'_ Naru asked skeptically.

'In the cupboard, next to the fridge,' Shinobu thought nervously.

'_There it is again! It just said, "_In the cupboard, next to the fridge,"' they heard Kitsune say.

'_Well, that's where it was this morning,'_ Naru pointed out.

'_Oh. Sorry._' they heard Kitsune say.

'Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention that you can choose to talk to specific people with this _ki_ telepathy or to talk to everyone in a given room,' Keitaro thought to Shinobu and Mutsumi.

'Oh, cool. You mean like the way Shinobu-chan was talking to Kitsune-san just now?' Mutsumi thought to Keitaro.

'Yeah. Oh, Mutsumi, why don't you try it?' Keitaro thought to Mutsumi.

'I was actually going to prank Kitsune-san anyway,' Mutsumi thought to him. 'Hey, Kitsune-san,' Mutsumi thought to Kitsune, which Keitaro and Shinobu could follow.

'_Naru, I just heard Mutsumi-san's voice. She said hi,'_ Kitsune said slowly.

_'Well, I can't hear anything,'_ Naru said.

'_I don't know. Maybe I've been drinking too much.'_ Kitsune said somberly.

'_That _is_ what you do,'_ Naru said, walking out of the room.

'That was very funny, Mutsumi-san,' came Tsuruko's voice into their mind, which startled the two girls.

'Oh, hey, Tsuruko-san. Shinobu-chan, Mutsumi-chan, I also didn't tell you that Tsuruko-san could also use _ki_ telepathy,' Keitaro thought to them.

'Oh. Hi,' were the telepathic responses of Mutsumi and Shinobu.

'Hi, girls. So, Keitaro-san, you taught them telepathy. Nice,' she said telepathically.

'Yes. As you probably noticed, they generate _ki_ fast and in large quantities, just like you and me,' he noted.

'I did. Well, how are you doing on your end?' Tsuruko asked.

'Well, we're fine. We got to the hotel and everything, but we found out that the Urashima suite was a _romance_ suite,' Keitaro thought.

Apparently, Tsuruko found it funny when he said that, because they heard her laughing really hard in mental communication.

'What's so funny, Tsuruko-san?' Keitaro asked facetiously.

'You took a twenty-one-year-old woman and a thirteen-year-old woman to a romance suite. Oh, Keitaro-san, how _do_ you get into these situations? You are cracking me up!' she thought to them. This made Keitaro laugh as well.

'Yeah, I really don't know,' he laughed.

'Oh, yeah. I think fortune is not a fan of yours, my friend,' Tsuruko laughed, joking along with him.

'So, how are the girls doing over there?' Keitaro asked.

'Well, I pretty much yelled at them what their problems were. I had to slap Naru-san because she couldn't accept the truth, my sister denied it at first but eventually saw that it was true, that Kitsune-san seemed uncharacteristically honest, and Sarah-san was uncharacteristically sad about her actions for causing you to leave. It turns out she was actually _joking_ whenever she seemed not to listen,' she explained.

'Have they learned their lessons yet?' Keitaro asked.

'Hmm, let me see...Sarah-san seems to be the first one to understand, Kitsune-san seems that she is actually starting to understand, my sister is willing to listen but does not understand, and Naru-san doesn't understand at all, nor would she listen if you were to say it or if I were,' Tsuruko said.

'Oh. Well, it's a shame about Naru-chan not understanding, but at least everyone else understood. It is a big shock about Sarah-chan, though. Anyway, I believe the gang should be there tomorrow,' he responded.

'Er…gang?' Mutsumi asked.

'Yeah. I asked some friends to go over to the Hinata-Sou and they would teach the girls about the good side of men. One of them can easily help Kitsune be kind to boys, another one can easily show how not all men are perverts, there's also one that can help Naru-san with her crazy punch reflex, and there's the one who can bring out the best in kids, although I think only two of them are needed right now, given that two already understand,' Keitaro explained.

'Oh. I see,' Mutsumi said. Then, many moments of silence.

'Umm, Sempai…can we get back to learning about _ki_ now?' Shinobu asked him after a few seconds.

'Sure, Shinobu-chan. I bet you would want to learn about how to cook with _ki_, right?' he said.

'Yes, Sempai, I really would like to learn, thank you,' she said.

'Plus, Mutsumi-chan, I bet you want to learn how to grow a watermelon _on your hand_, right?' he asked.

'That sounds delightful, Kei-kun,' she said mentally.

'Okay, you three have fun now. I'll check in once a week with telepathy, alright?' Tsuruko said.

'Yeah,' Keitaro said.

'Of course,' Mutsumi said.

'S-Sure,' Shinobu said.

'Okay. Bye, you three,' Tsuruko said.

'Bye,' they said.

**After that conversation, Hinata House**

Tsuruko sat in her room, pretending to meditate. Of course, she was the only one in the house who knew the truth. Not even Motoko knew that she was using _ki_ telepathy. All she could detect was a faint trail of _ki_. However, just as she detected it, it disappeared.

'What was that? It looked like a _ki_ signature, but it was very faint. And the only ones here who can use _ki_ are my sister and myself...and I most certainly didn't use that low a level of _ki_. I haven't even used any _ki_ ever since Urashima-san left. Which means...wait, why would my sister use that little _ki_? There's nothing one can do that requires such a small amount. So why would she use that little _ki_? What reason does she have?' Motoko thought.

Not expecting or receiving a response, she stood up to go train on the roof.

"Motoko-sama, don't you want to ask me something?" she heard behind her as she got to the roof.

Turning around in mass surprise, Motoko said, "S-Sister! Um...no, I didn't have a question for you."

"Then why was it in your mind? Don't lie to me, Motoko-sama," Tsuruko said firmly.

"Okay. I was wondering why you used an amount of _ki_ too small to use," Motoko admitted.

"Oh. Well, that was actually me talking to Keitaro-san, Motoko-sama," Tsuruko admitted.

"Huh? Talking to Urashima? How? Also, more importantly, _why_?" Motoko asked.

"Motoko-sama, don't you remember, back at the dojo? You _insisted_ on learning to use _ki_ for attacks, rather than for defense or everyday life. One of these things you missed was telepathy, just like empathy. That's why you can't read anyone's emotions or thoughts; you never wanted to learn. I, on the other hand, _did_ learn these things. I know something that would make all of you turn on each other, but I hold back. After all, would it make sense for me to defy the orders of the man who asked me here? Not to mention, he is one of my best friends. He is _that_ friendly, Motoko-sama. I was one of his friends after only one day of talking. And there are only two people in this house that do not see why he left. Be lucky you are the mature one of the two," Tsuruko ranted in an annoyed tone.

"O-Of course I see why he left! He was too cowardly to stay here, so he left," Motoko protested.

"Whatever you need to tell yourself to stay comfortable," Tsuruko said in an annoyed tone, sighing and going back down the stairs.

"Huh?" Motoko asked, standing there with a dumbfounded look on her face. She pretty much remained there until breakfast.

**Breakfast, Hinata House**

"Oh, by the way, girls, a group of my friends are coming over today," Tsuruko explained. It was the end of their morning meal.

"Okay. When are they coming over?" Naru asked. Then, there was a knock on the door.

"Oh, that's probably them," Tsuruko said. All the girls followed her into the living room, expecting to see a small number of young kendo masters.

That was not what they saw.

What they saw were four armed Yakuza _men_.

"GAH! THESE _MEN_ ARE YOUR FRIENDS?! YOU HAVE GOT TO BE JOKING!" Motoko yelled. Everyone hid behind the couch, peeking over the back of it.

"Hello, ladies. Relax, we won't hurt you. We _couldn't_, anyway. It's just not in our nature," the tall one in the middle explained gently.

"EH?!" was almost every response in the room.

|\/\/|

And that's chapter four, everyone.

Motoko: This story just keeps getting worse and worse for us!

Shinobu: (hugging Keitaro) [dreamy] I don't know. It's not _so _bad.

Mutsumi: (also hugging Keitaro) [dreamy] Yeah. I like this story.

Naru: THAT'S BECAUSE YOU TWO ARE SAFE FROM THESE YAKUZA!

Chris: I wouldn't call it _safe_, more like _away_.

Naru: Oh, potāto, potäto.

Chris: How do you even know that? You live in Japan, not America.

Naru: Well, it made more sense than saying something else, right?

Chris: Yeah, I guess so. Motoko, why are trying to sneak up on me with that club? You know you can just hit me, right? After all, I am the author. I'm indestructible in my own stories.

Motoko: Fair enough for me.

(Motoko smacks Chris in the head multiple times)

-Ten minutes later-

Motoko: How do you keep doing that? You smashed my club again!

Chris: Hmm? Oh, sorry, I was watching cartoons. What did you say?

Motoko: OH, SHUT YOUR MOUTH, _AUTHOR_!

Chris: Now, that isn't the way to talk to an eight-year-old.

Motoko: I COULDN'T CARE LESS!

Chris: Hey, why you gotta be so grumpy, man?

(Motoko storms off, everyone looks at Chris)

Chris: What? That was in my cartoon.

Everyone: (facepalms)

Chris: Sayonara, readers!

Everyone: BYE!


	5. Chapter 5: The Yakuza Who Came

A/N: Hey people, I am back.

Motoko: We can see that, mister.

Su: I STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN MY GIFT YET!

Chris: Don't worry, I intend on keeping that promise.

Su: THEN DO IT _NOW_!

Chris: Okay, bossy, just for that, I'm not going to tell you _when_ it's coming.

Su: Aw.

Naru: Just put it in here, Mister Author.

Chris: Or I could make you chase each other around for no reason. Or, as some people put it, a typical day in Love Hina.

Shinobu: What's that?

Chris: Oh, it's a chronicle of all your adventures.

Everyone: A chronicle of all our adventures?

Chris: Yeah. I take you guys from any point in the story and start my story from there. Oh, by the way, do any of you want to see your future?

Haruka: Sure.

-Two hours later-

Haruka: Who would have guessed?

Naru: I did _not_ see that coming.

Keitaro: Oh yeah, I remember that.

Su: Hey, that's me!

Shinobu: Wow.

Chris: Yep. Lots of crazy stuff happened to you guys.

Motoko: I can see that.

Sarah: Where did you get this?

Chris: Well, I didn't have to buy it, as it came out before I was born. All I did was find a website with this. You guys were created by a famous writer in Japan.

Mutsumi: We were?

Chris: Yeah. And these aren't your only adventures. There are even some other media pieces of you. Books, anime, they even made a live show.

Akamatsu: Yeah, my brother really made you quite popular.

Chris: Yep. Anyway, let's start the story before someone other than me gets hurt. By the way, I own no part of this story. Plus, this is a disclaimer, so don't sue me. I don't have the money to pay off a lawsuit and neither do my parents. Any questions of ownership are answered by the name Ken Akamatsu.

|/\/\|

**After breakfast, Hinata Sou**

"You won't hurt us?" Naru asked.

The tall one in the middle shook his head. "Of course not. These weapons aren't even real. They just let us leave the base without being caught without weapons. It's a Yakuza rule," he said. He put his hands behind his back and all of a sudden flinched at a loud noise. Everyone else flinched, too. Once the commotion had cleared, there was a bullet hole in the ground right next to his foot. He took out a gun from his pocket, which also had a bullet hole in it. "Whoops. I think someone swapped my fake gun for a real one," he said, tossing the gun into the trash can.

"Ah, Ichigo-sama, Yuu-san, Ryouichi-san, Esteban-san, how are you four?" Tsuruko asked.

"'Esteban-san'? Are you from another country?" Kitsune asked.

"Yeah, the Caribbean. Of course, here, there aren't many tropical areas, as far as I know, but there _are_ fishing spots. Plus, no parents nagging me to 'grow up' and 'get a haircut, hippy!'!" the big one on the right said, using air quotes around the words 'grow up' and 'get a haircut, hippy!'.

"H-How old are you guys?" Shinobu asked.

"Forty," Ichigo, the one in the middle, responded.

"Thirty-eight," Yuu, the guy on his right, said.

"Thirty-nine," Ryouichi, the guy on his left, responded.

"Ten," Esteban, the tall man in the back, said.

"Ten?" asked almost everyone in the room in surprise.

"Ten," Esteban repeated.

"How is that even possible? What year were you born?" Motoko asked.

"1956," Esteban responded.

"So you're forty-three?" Su asked.

"Nope," Esteban said.

"He was born on February 29, which only occurs once every four years. He's ten," Tsuruko explained.

"Wow. What a weird coincidence!" Sarah noted.

"Yeah," Esteban said.

"So…what's up, Tsuruko-sama? We haven't seen you since the family reunion!" Ryouichi said.

"What family reunion?" Motoko asked.

"Well, you weren't there for the news, Motoko-sama. You were here at Hinata-Sou," Tsuruko replied.

"Oh, I see," Motoko replied.

"And how is my relative doing?" Ichigo asked, turning to Motoko.

"Just how am I related to you?" Motoko asked, a mixture of vehemence and curiosity.

"I'm your brother-in-law," Ichigo said.

"I'm just a friend of your dad's," Yuu said.

"I'm a friend of your mom's," Ryouichi responded.

"And I'm your adopted brother," Esteban said.

"Oh, right. Sorry about forgetting, Esteban-sama," Tsuruko said.

"Don't worry about it. I forget a lot, too. Now, where were my keys? Oh, right, I left them in the car," Esteban said, trying to find his keys.

"Anyway, these gentleman are completely different from what you expected, right?" Tsuruko asked the girls.

"Yeah. I thought all Yakuza were the violent type," Kitsune replied.

"Believe me, we are pretty good at acting like it," Ichigo said. "All the other Yakuza are not only ballistic, conniving, thieving killers, but they are real big jerks, too."

"Wow. Just when I thought men couldn't get any lower than Keitaro's friends…you tell me that information," Motoko complained.

"So, guys, did you get the message from Keitaro-san?" Tsuruko asked.

"Yep. He even told us this morning that a couple of them already learned something, so we can just be friends," Yuu replied.

"Wait, you guys know Kei-kun?" Kitsune asked.

"Know him? We are practically best friends. The only difference is that we don't visit him often because we are pretty much forced to do someone's dirty work," Ryouichi answered.

"We know what it must have been like to be around a guy who does so many clumsy things yet exudes such an aura of calmness as him. He practically got me fired out of the Yakuza via severance package," Esteban said.

"Wouldn't that be a good thing?" Naru asked.

"Well, not really. You see, getting fired from the Yakuza would be good, but getting fired out of a cannon into a lion's den is _not_ good. That's the severance package," Esteban replied.

"Oh. I see," Naru said with a pained look on her face, probably from the image of what he just described.

"Well, enough about us. How are _you_ doing?" Ryouichi asked the girls with a warm smile.

"Oh…I'm fine, thanks for asking," Sarah replied. Everyone else's replies were about the same.

"Well, I forgot why else we were here, so…should we get going?" Esteban asked. Everyone agreed.

"Well, it was nice to meet all of you, but we should be on our way. After all, we don't want that severance package," Ryouichi said, walking toward the door with his friends.

"Okay. Bye, guys," Tsuruko waved.

"Bye, Tsuruko-san," all four of them said at the same time, walking out the door.

Once they were gone, Tsuruko turned to the girls. "Well, that was nice, meeting my old friends, wasn't it?" Tsuruko asked. It didn't seem like they paid any attention, though. They still seemed to be processing what just happened.

**Meanwhile, the romance suite**

"Wow, Shinobu-chan, you are a natural at this! It took me a week to learn how to _ki_ cook. You learned after one explanation," Keitaro complemented her.

"Th-thank you, Sempai. You're just a good teacher," Shinobu said.

"Thanks, Shinobu-chan," Keitaro replied back.

"Watermelon, anyone?" Mutsumi asked. There was a plant hanging from her hand and there was a watermelon growing rapidly on the end of the plant.

"Sure, Mutsumi-chan," Keitaro replied. "You seem to have gotten the hang of what I taught you very fast, too," he added.

"Yeah, I guess I have. Thanks for the compliment, Kei-kun," Mutsumi agreed.

"So, do you girls want to take a break or do you want to learn how to make a _ki_ shield? It's my specialty," Keitaro asked.

"Ooh, a _ki_ shield? Sounds interesting," Mutsumi said.

"Can we learn about that now, Sempai?" Shinobu asked.

"Of course. All you have to do is imagine a field of _ki_ around you to protect yourself from any threat. You have to want to protect yourself or else it will not work," Keitaro explained.

"Okay, got it," Mutsumi and Shinobu said, signaling the other two occupants of the room to give her some space.

"Now, let's see if you can block a flying magazine. After all, a breakable shield cannot defend someone, right?" Keitaro said, lifting up two magazines with his _ki_. He launched them at the girls at the same speed as throwing them.

The magazines landed on something invisible less than a foot in front of them. They opened their eyes and saw this.

"Wow. I did it!" Mutsumi said.

"Awesome!" Shinobu asked.

"Good. Now try to imagine that your skin is the _ki_ shield. This is a better choice if an attacker is aiming for you directly and not someone else. I'm going to poke you on the arm to test if it works," Keitaro commanded.

"Okay, ready, Sempai/Kei-kun," both girls said at the same time, using their usual way to address him. Keitaro poked them.

"Did you feel me poking you?" Keitaro asked.

"No, I didn't, Kei-kun," Mutsumi responded.

"No, Sempai," Shinobu responded.

"Okay, now can you feel this?" Keitaro said, focusing some _ki_ into his next poke.

"Ow. I felt that," Mutsumi replied, still calmly.

"I actually felt it _that_ time, Sempai," Shinobu replied.

"That's because I used some _ki_ in that poke. You actually need two layers of _ki_ shield to protect yourself from a _ki_ attack. It's good that you can use the shield, though. Not many people can pull it off right away. It's quite the opposite, usually," Keitaro complimented them.

"Wow, we really _do_ have a great teacher!" Mutsumi cheered.

"Aw, thanks Mutsumi-chan. I guess I have great students," he complimented back.

"Awww…Sempai!" Shinobu said affectionately, running to hug him.

"Ooh, a hug!" Mutsumi said as she joined the hug. Mutsumi and Shinobu looked extremely comfortable in that hug.

"Hey, Sempai…how _do_ you do that?" Shinobu asked.

"Do what, Shinobu-chan?" Keitaro asked.

"I think she means 'How do you make these really comfortable hugs?'" Mutsumi said.

"Yeah, that _is _what I meant," Shinobu replied.

"Well, it's another thing with _ki_. You can convey emotions through body contact, such as shaking someone's hand or hugging someone. Is it something you want to learn?" Keitaro asked.

"Yeah, of course we do! Hey, stop copying me!" both ladies answered simultaneously, finally realizing just how frequently they emulated each other's responses in the past day.

"Okay. Well, this is actually a bit tricky, so it may take multiple tries to get it, even for you two," Keitaro warned.

"I want to learn it!" Shinobu replied.

"Yes, please, Kei-kun," Mutsumi said, more calmly.

"Okay, well, there's nothing to it after practicing, really. All you have to do is think of affectionate emotions, like love, friendship, devotion, loyalty, and the like. Then, you must use your _ki_ to spread these emotions to those around you. They have to touch those around you willingly, not forced upon them. Otherwise, you could shred off some of their _ki_ and ruin their life. The thing to remember is that you can _never _do something to someone's emotions against their will without ruining their will to live. But, you, being the naturals you are, should ace this, no problem. Just remember not to force it. Remember, I won't do anything except join in the hug," Keitaro explained. He hugged Shinobu and Mutsumi back as they hugged him to try what he taught them.

"Wow, you girls are doing really well. You are both using your _ki_ at the same time, right?" Keitaro asked.

"Yep. Okay, please stop doing that!" Shinobu and Mutsumi said, turning to each other once again after they copied each other again.

"I guess a hug with three people using _ki_ would really feel comfortable," Keitaro said, visibly focusing to use his _ki_.

"Ooh…you were right, Kei-kun. It _is_ more comfortable," Mutsumi said happily.

"Yeah, it really is, isn't it?" Shinobu asked rhetorically.

"Yes, it is. There is something I didn't mention, though. If more than one person uses _ki_ like this, the positive emotions amplify each other much the same way that they amplify _ki_, only not as much. It really helps with comforting people and, if focused on personal injuries, can heal them. Pretty cool, huh?" Keitaro explained. "You know, I always forget to explain some things before they happen, huh? I should really get a look at that sometime," he added, soliciting a giggle from the girls as Tama landed on Mutsumi's head, smiling.

**|| |One week later, Hinata-Sou| ||**

Naru walked down the hall slowly and sneakily. 'Tsuruko-san keeps trying to smack me whenever she can for no reason at all. I can't believe she's doing this. Well, at least her husband kept stopping her from killing me. Why is she doing this? What did I do wrong? I suppose I hit Keitaro-san for no reason sometimes, but does that give her a reason to do _this_?' she thought.

Another voice in her head that she was trying to suppress was now shouting very loudly, 'Oh, come on, you know you have some feelings for him!' It was still a part she tried to ignore every day. But just before she could silence the voice, she got really freaked out at the sound of running in the hall connecting to her current one.

"Ah, there you are, Naru-san. You aren't done facing my wrath yet. Get over here!" Tsuruko said demonically, drawing her sword.

"Oh, s***!" Naru said, breaking into a dead run, despite knowing how useless it was after the week. 'Why did I have to make her angrier at me after the day he left?!' she asked herself, rhetorically and angry with herself, yet fearing for her life. 'Why did I try to hit her the other night?'

**Flashback, 3****rd**** person: Naru**

_Naru was walking to the manager's room. She wanted to give Tsuruko a piece of her mind for inviting those _men _to Hinata-Sou for a visit. She was so filled with venom that she could not see how obviously outmatched she was if a fight were to occur or that there was no reason to try and start one in the first place. Now, though, she was too into her internal ranting to think logically (or of anything else, for that matter). She stormed down the hall to the manager's room the old-fashioned way. 'Can't use the hole in the floor, or else she would get the jump on me,' she thought. Apparently, she couldn't strategize logically, either. _

_She went down the hallway and stormed up to the door. She knocked on the door vehemently. _

"_Tsuruko-san! I have a question for you!" Naru yelled. She was beyond mad. She was _livid_._

"_Come in, Naru-san," Tsuruko replied calmly. Naru did just that. "What is your question?" Tsuruko asked._

"_Why did you have those guys visit today?! Why?!" Naru asked._

"_Well, they were just visiting me today. I was hoping you would become friends with them, but it doesn't appear like you wanted to be friends with them. What did you think of them?" Tsuruko asked, voice still calm but a hint of resentment was present._

"_I hate them!" Naru shouted._

"_Why? They did nothing wrong," Tsuruko asked._

"_Well…they…they…they…" Naru asked, faltering with each word._

"_They what?" Tsuruko asked innocently. _

_"They...they are guys!" Naru finally spat out._

_"That is the_ weakest _argument I ever heard," Tsuruko said. Instead of a reply, Naru lunged at Tsuruko, reeling back her arm to punch her. _

_That is not what happened._

_What actually happened was Naru's punch being blocked the same way Keitaro blocked her punch the night he announced he was temporarily leaving Hinata-Sou. Naru recoiled in pain, clutching her aching fist. _

_"Sorry, Naru-san. You can't try that on me," Tsuruko teased._

_"How did you do that?" Naru asked._

_"That is a secret you will never know, Naru-san. You never ask questions, anyway. I resent you already, you know. Don't poke the bear. It never ends well," Tsuruko said._

_"Says the girl who keeps making me even madder by doing something stupid every day! First, you try to lie to my face by calling what Keitaro-san kept doing 'accidents', then you invite those _Yakuza_ over for a visit today! You keep this up and I'm gonna-" Naru ranted until she got smacked with a bokken. It seemed to appear out of nowhere._

_"What did I tell you? Poking the bear never ends well. Be lucky that I'm letting you keep your life because my second-best friend commanded me to. I would do much more torture if he had let me, as payback for your abuse, but you keep pushing my patience. Be careful, or I might just lose control of my hand, Naru-san," Tsuruko warned._

_"You're bluffing! And you called him your second-best friend. You aren't nearly as loyal to him as we are! Besides, I only hit him as reprimand for his transgressions!" Naru yelled._

_"Oh, on the contrary, Narusegawa-san. The only person closer to me than him is my husband, and I haven't seen him nearly as often as you girls. And I would call a shove away from yourself reprimand. What you do is overreaction-induced abuse. He lands in faraway places every day, yet he still protects all of you, even at his expense. Also, I'm not bluffing," she said, taking out her sword, poised to strike._

_"Uh...what are you doing?" Naru asked fearfully._

_"SECRET TECHNIQUE: AIR CUTTING SWORD!" Tsuruko yelled. This blew Naru through the wall outside the door and into the open night air._

From that point on, Tsuruko did this every day, even going as far as today as to hunt the whole house for her. She never did much other than whack her in the gut with a bokken (A/N: that's a wooden sword), but Naru was too scared of Tsuruko to think logically.

Suddenly, though, she found herself unable to move, as if she was paralyzed. She tried to move with everything she had, but it never worked. She looked down and said, "Wha...?!" with wide eyes.

"It's hard to run from someone who can control people's body parts without touching them," Tsuruko teased.

"Wha...? How?!" Naru yelled rhetorically.

"Long story. Now, come on, time to get smacked," Tsuruko said, as it was routine.

"NO!" Naru yelled melodramatically.

"Oh, come on, it's only a carved piece of wood hitting you in the gut," Tsuruko admonished.

"OW!" Naru said, falling on her knees, clutching her gut.

"Oh, come on! You're being melodramatic again! Geez, Narusegawa-san! Pull yourself together! It shouldn't even hurt anymore! Have you gone brain-dead or something?!" Tsuruko admonished.

As Naru was walking away, Kitsune came walking into the hallway, talking to Motoko. The Hinata-Sou changed a crazy amount with the new manager being Tsuruko. Tsuruko told them to socialize with each other more. Right now, Motoko was talking about something that happened long ago. Kitsune started laughing at something she said.

"Wow, so she trapped you on the clothesline?" she said, still laughing.

"Yeah. She snuck up on me and put the clothesline through my clothes so that it trapped me. Then she held up a turtle next to my face and let it bite me. Now, I hate turtles," Motoko finished.

"Wow! Some story! Whoa, Naru-san? What happened?" Kitsune said, the two running over to their friend.

"What happened, Naru-san?" Motoko asked, concerned.

"I've been abused," Naru said hauntingly.

"Again? That's the seventh time this week! Is she _trying_ to hurt us?" Kitsune asked indignantly.

"We cannot stand to tolerate this abuse," Motoko pointed out indignantly.

"Where is she? I'm gonna give her a piece of my mind!" Kitsune yelled. She started running in a random direction.

"What is she doing?" Motoko asked, looking at the direction Kitsune ran.

"Oh, when something makes her mad, she gets ragey and can't think logically," Naru explained.

"That's what happens every time someone gets excessively mad," Motoko said.

"What do you mean?" Naru asked curiously.

"Well, when someone gets too mad, their emotions take control of their actions, which gets to be unpredictable most of the time," Motoko explained.

"Yeah, I guess. I remember when you used to chase Keitaro-san around when you got mad. You totally lost that cool image of yours!" Naru said, starting to laugh.

"Yes, but you used to do the same thing when _you_ got mad!" Motoko replied in mock indignity, also laughing.

"Uh...I did?" Naru asked, sounding confused.

"Yes. We both chased him around a lot, didn't we?" Motoko asked, now starting to tear up a little.

"Yeah, I guess so," Naru asked, now starting to tear up as well. They sat there for a few moments, trying to fight back tears.

"Motoko-san?" Naru asked, sniffing.

"Yes, Naru-san?" Motoko asked, now sniffling as well.

"What have we done?" Naru asked, throwing her arms around Motoko crying.

"We have driven away the one man who made us feel important," Motoko said, starting to cry as well. They sat there in a hug, crying into each other's shoulders.

'Good. They finally learned their lesson,' Tsuruko thought in her room. She had been using her _ki_ to watch them. She could feel the genuine sadness coming off of the both of them, and she didn't even have to use her empathy. She was telling Keitaro this lesson.

'After only a week? That's great! How about we give them a little test?' he responded to her.

'Great idea. What did you have in mind?' Tsuruko asked him with the telepathy.

'How do you feel about amusement parks?' Keitaro asked her.

**|| |The romance suite| ||**

While Keitaro was busy communicating with Tsuruko, Mutsumi and Shinobu were talking about Keitaro.

"So, Mutsumi-sempai, you like Sempai, right? I mean, really like him?" Shinobu asked.

"Yeah, I do. Don't you have a crush on him?" Mutsumi asked.

"Umm...yeah, I do. Was it obvious?" Shinobu asked shyly.

"Yeah, it was," Mutsumi said.

"Well, we'll see if he picks one of us," Shinobu responded.

"Yeah. He's a good guy. I wish he would pick one of us instead of just staying idle," Mutsumi said wistfully.

"I think we are the only ones to see that. I think Sempai is a wonderful guy," Shinobu replied.

"Well, I guess we have to make sure he can live to make his choice. After all, he's not indestructible," Mutsumi reasoned.

"Yeah," Shinobu agreed. "Good thing he taught us how to use our _ki_ for defense. Plus, now we can use it for other things as well," she added, holding a raw potato that was cooking in her hand, thanks to her _ki_. She had a lot of practice because she cooked for them for a week.

"Yeah," Mutsumi said, taking a watermelon out of her hand and opening it with her _ki_. Again, she had lots of practice.

"Hey, girls, guess what?" Keitaro asked.

"Yeah, Kei-kun?" Mutsumi asked.

"How would you feel about paying the girls a visit?" Keitaro asked.

|\/\/|

And that's finally chapter five, everyone!

Naru: Whoa, whoa, whoa. What sort of visit is this?

Chris: You'll have to wait and find out.

Kitsune: Aw, come on, man! Can't you give us a straight answer for once?!

Chris: Not in front of the readers, or the surprise is spoiled.

Motoko: Can't you ever stop with the surprises?

Chris: No, or else nobody would read my writing.

Naru: Well, it's better than if you _didn't _stop writing.

Chris: You do realize I could make all of you do crazy things, right?

Kitsune: Oh, no.

(Chris snaps fingers, Naru, Kitsune, and Motoko all fall on their faces. They try to get up but keep slipping and falling down)

Motoko: (in between slipping and falling)What are you doing?

Chris: I am making you clumsy. Also, don't worry, you'll be fine. I heal you after the chapter ends, anyway.

Naru, Motoko, Kitsune: WELL, THEN END IT!

Chris: Okay. Bye readers!


	6. Chapter 6: The Chance

A/N: Hey, people. I'm back.

Motoko: Yes, he is. And, by the way, that stunt last time with making us clumsy will NOT happen again, are we clear?

(Chris snaps fingers, Motoko starts falling over like at the end of last chapter)

Motoko: (in between falling down) Really?!

Chris: (chuckles) Some people never learn.

Haruka: So, what's in this chapter? When will I come in again?

Chris: Be patient. You will have another appearance.

Su: (eyes glowing red, demonic voice) YOU STILL HAVEN'T GIVEN ME MY GIFT YET!

Chris: That's because of last chapter's yelling. You made it so that you wouldn't know when you would get it.

Su: I WANT MY GIFT!

(Chris snaps fingers, Su falls unconscious)

Everyone: *gasp*

Chris: Don't worry, she's still alive. She's just unconscious. Disclaimer: None of the characters I have put into this story so far (except for the names of the Yakuza men last chapter) are mine, they are Ken Akamatsu's.

Everyone: Oh, kill me now.

Chris: STORY START!

|/\/\|

_From last time:_

_"Well, I guess we have to make sure he can live to make his choice. After all, he's not indestructible," Mutsumi reasoned._

_"Yeah," Shinobu agreed._

_"Hey, girls, guess what?" Keitaro asked._

_"Yeah, Kei-kun?" Mutsumi asked._

_"How would you feel about paying the girls a visit?" Keitaro asked._

"Ooh, a visit to the Hinata?" Mutsumi asked.

"Well, a visit to the girls," Keitaro corrected.

"Wh-What do you mean, Sempai?" Shinobu asked.

"Well, Tsuruko and I were thinking of bringing the other girls to Kanagawa Neverland at the same time I brought you two with me. If you wanted to, that is," Keitaro said.

"Of course, Kei-kun," Mutsumi responded.

"Y-Yes, Sempai," Shinobu replied.

"Okay, great. But we would have to let them see us first. We would have to let them find us. I have something else to teach you that will help with this. Do you want to learn it?" Keitaro asked.

"Yes, of course. Okay, stop copying me!" they both said at the same time, turning to each other and pointing the finger at each other.

"Okay. Well, we need to go somewhere open to do it," Keitaro replied, rubbing his chin to think.

"What about the park?" Shinobu asked.

"That'll work. Come on!" Keitaro said, gesturing for them to take an arm. Then Keitaro focused only slightly, something the girls only caught because of their training and empathy. They looked around them as their surroundings suddenly changed from those of the romance suite to those of a nearby park.

"Whoa. Is that what we're going to learn, Sempai?" Shinobu asked in amazement.

"Yep. _Ki_ geo-leaping, as I call it, is what you are going to learn this time," Keitaro replied (A/N: 'geo-leaping' is a reference to the TV series _Lab Rats_. I don't take credit for coming up with it.). A few people were staring and blinking at seeing three people appear out of nowhere. Keitaro just put his hand up in their direction and they turned back as if nothing happened. The girls noticed this.

"What was that, Kei-kun?" Mutsumi asked.

"Oh, I changed their memory of us appearing out of nowhere so that they thought they saw us walking to where we are instead of just appearing. It's another ability with _ki_ I haven't taught you," Keitaro explained. "Also, I put up a camo dome so that everyone will see us playing frisbee instead of me teaching you how to teleport anywhere you wanted. It's easy to use _ki_ once you see the pattern," Keitaro explained.

"Cool," the girls replied.

"So, anyway, to teleport anywhere, you need to first see where to teleport to. Then you focus all your _ki _to that spot, which will put your physical being in that spot as well. Try geo-leaping over there," Keitaro said, pointing to a spot on the open green a few yards away. He did it first. "Now _you_ try," he instructed, pointing to them.

They did as told. They focused visibly, closing their eyes and opening them again, their pupils glowing blue. They did as told, taking their _ki_ and placing it next to him. They blinked their eyes after doing this.

"Whoa, we just geo-leaped, Sempai!" Shinobu cheered.

"Yeah, you did. I knew you could do it," Keitaro said. "You know, a good way to practice geo-leaping is to play frisbee and geo-leap to the frisbee to catch it. Do you want to play?" Keitaro asked the girls.

"Wait, what about Kanagawa Neverland?" Mutsumi asked.

"That's not until Thursday. We have a couple days," Keitaro explained, pulling out a frisbee.

"Okay. Then let's play!" Mutsumi said, geo-leaping over to a spot some distance away. They started tossing around the frisbee, laughing and smiling. They had fun for a while playing this game.

**Meanwhile, at the Hinata-Sou**

"Alright, Tsuruko-san, what did you want to see us for?" Kitsune asked, rubbing her head from an apparent headache. She didn't have a hangover, though. She just found out that Naru was being unintentionally melodramatic when she said Tsuruko was 'abusing' her.

"I wanted to ask if anyone wanted to come along with me," Tsuruko replied.

"To where?" Naru asked, eyes slightly red and puffy.

"A theme park. I do believe it will help all of us to have fun and relax," Tsuruko responded.

"Cool. Which theme park?" Sarah asked.

"How about that place 'Kanagawa Neverland'?" Tsuruko asked.

"Ooh. I want to go there again!" Su replied cheerfully.

"Uh...'again'?" Tsuruko asked, clearly confused.

"Yes, sister, again. We all went there once after Urashima-san and Naru-san passed one of the Tokyo U exams," Motoko explained, flinching slightly at the mention of Keitaro's name, bringing back pain she tried to hold in.

"Oh. I see," Tsuruko said, seeming somewhat disappointed at this revelation.

"So, wait, you're inviting us all to Kanagawa Neverland?" Kitsune asked.

"Yes, I am," Tsuruko responded.

"Well, then, sounds like a plan. When are we leaving?" Yoshio asked.

"Thursday, Yo-sama. It will give us something to look forward to," Tsuruko responded.

"Well, okay then," Yoshio replied.

"Alright! Another trip to Kanagawa Neverland! Sweet!" Kitsune cheered, obviously with fake enthusiasm.

"...Too soon, Kitsune-san," Naru said.

"What'd I say?" Kitsune asked obliviously, obviously not getting the point. This only made all the tenants start tearing up, and Tsuruko to glare at her slightly.

"Oh, no. This feels familiar. Kinda reminds me of..." Kitsune never finished her sentence, though, as she finally understood. 'Reminds me of him,' she thought, starting her own tears.

**|| |Two days later, Hinata-Sou| ||**

"Well, are we ready to go?" Tsuruko asked. She was standing at the door looking at all the residents. Kitsune was putting her apparently full wallet in her pocket, Motoko was sheathing her katana at her waist, Naru was putting her glasses on, Sarah was putting on her new watch, and Su was putting her Keitaro tracker in her pocket.

'Perfect. I won't have to ask her,' Tsuruko thought. 'Well, I did put the thought into her mind with my _ki_, so I shouldn't be surprised,' she added mentally.

"Yeah, I'm ready," Sarah replied.

"I have everything," Kitsune replied.

"I am ready to leave," Motoko responded.

"I'm ready," Naru responded.

"I have everything, Tsu-sama," Yoshio responded.

"I have everything. Ready to go!" Su responded in her cheerful manner. Everyone had already gotten over the loss of their male manager because Tsuruko was helping them to be conversational with each other.

**Meanwhile, the romance suite**

"Do you two have everything?" Keitaro asked.

"Yes, Sempai," Shinobu responded.

"Yes, Kei-kun," Mutsumi responded.

"Alright, let's geo-leap there," Keitaro said.

"How are we going to do that, Kei-kun?" Mutsumi asked.

"Well, remember how I said you can place your _ki_ anywhere you can see to geo-leap there? Well, there's a picture online that shows us some bushes at the entrance. We can geo-leap behind them through the picture. It's a little harder, but it'll help us get there faster. After that, I'll pay for our tickets. The girls should get there after us," Keitaro explained.

"Cool," the girls replied.

"Okay. Now, remember what I taught you. Imagine seeing the bushes in the picture as if you were standing there and geo-leap behind the bushes in the picture," he instructed. They put their _ki_ behind the bushes in the picture, imagining the sight as if they were there, just as they were instructed, and blinked. There they were.

"Whoa, we're here!" Mutsumi said, astonished.

"Kanagawa Neverland!" Shinobu said, just as astounded.

"Yes, we're here. Now let's get in line," Keitaro replied. They got out of the bushes at the entrance and got into the long line.

**Meanwhile, on the train**

As the three from the romance suite bought tickets, the rest of the Hinata gang was riding the train to the popular amusement park. Tsuruko and her husband were standing on one side of the train while the other tenants were standing nearby on the other side of the train. That is to say, Tsuruko and her husband were standing by one door while the other tenants were near the opposite door.

Tsuruko was communicating with Keitaro. 'Hey, Kei-kun, are you there at the theme park?' Tsuruko asked him.

'Yeah, we just bought tickets. And why did you call me "Kei-kun"?' he responded.

'Remember? I wanted to call you that when I met you, but we agreed that I would call you Keitaro-san in front of your tenants,' she responded.

'Oh yeah, silly me. I forgot,' he replied.

'Well, where did you want to meet?' Tsuruko asked.

'Uh, let's see...there's a sushi restaurant called "Sakana" here, near the entrance. Maybe we can have lunch there,' he responded (A/N: Sakana is an actual sushi restaurant nearby my school. I give them credit for the name).

'Perfect. And, just like you asked, Kaolla-san brought her Keitaro-tracker, and I have blocked the signal with my _ki_ for until we get there. Then, I'll unblock the signal when we're inside,' Tsuruko explained the plan.

'Sounds like a good plan,' Keitaro complimented.

'Aw, thank you, Kei-kun,' Tsuruko thanked him, blushing slightly on the train.

'You're welcome. By the way, someone behind you is coming up to grope you. I can sense his thoughts from here,' Keitaro warned.

'Oh, thanks,' Tsuruko thanked, returning to her surroundings. She indeed felt a hand where it shouldn't be behind her and turned around her. She saw a sleeping man connected to that hand.

"Um, excuse me, mister, could you please move your hand away from there?" she asked the man, tapping his shoulder.

"Hmm? Oh, sorry! I was asleep. I was working late last night," he apologized.

"It's okay. I can appreciate hard work. What's your name?" Tsuruko asked kindly.

"Oh, my name is Masayuki Haitani. What's your name?" he asked her.

"Tsuruko Aoyama, and this is my husband, Yoshio Aoyama," she introduced. The two guys shook hands.

"Nice to meet you, Haitani-san," he replied.

"Likewise," Haitani returned.

"So, what brings you to the train, Haitani-san?" Tsuruko asked.

"I'm on my way to my job," Haitani replied.

"Where do you work?" Yoshio asked.

"The noon shift at Kanagawa Neverland," Haitani smiled.

"Oh, what a coincidence. We were going there ourselves," Tsuruko smiled.

"Oh, wow, that is a coincidence. Oh, by the way, I have a friend who works there, too. Shirai-san, come over here!" Haitani replied.

"Yeah? What is it, Haitani-san?" he asked.

"Tsuruko-san, Yoshio-san, this is my friend and co-worker, Kimiaki Shirai-san," Haitani introduced them.

"Well, hello there, pretty lady," Shirai said.

"Uhhh...thanks?" Tsuruko said in a tone of inquiry.

Haitani elbowed his friend. "Dude, don't flirt with her. She's married!" Haitani scolded.

"Oh," Shirai said. Then he said to Tsuruko, "You know, you look kind of familiar," he said, trying to remember what made her so familiar.

"Oh, really? I wonder why," Tsuruko said, also wondering.

"Oh, look. We're here. You coming?" Haitani asked.

"No, I have some responsibilities to take care of first," Tsuruko replied.

"Oh, okay. Well, maybe we'll see you in the park?" Shirai said.

"Maybe, if you can find us," Tsuruko replied.

"Oh, okay. Bye, Tsuruko-san, Yoshio-san," Haitani replied, just as the girls came up to Tsuruko's side. They hadn't seen the two guys, though, being immersed in their own thoughts, whatever they were.

"Come on, girls. Let's go," Tsuruko said, getting off the train with her husband, gesturing for the others to follow.

**|| |Five minutes later, the theme park, the romance suite group| ||**

"So, Kei-kun, we're going to meet the rest of the girls here?" Mutsumi asked. They were sitting at a large table meant to seat a large group that was hidden from direct sight of the entrance.

"Yes, Tsuruko-san and I agreed as this restaurant for our meeting place. They should be here in...oh, wait, that's them. I can sense their _ki_," Keitaro said. "Let's start eating so we'll look inconspicuous," he responded.

"...he should be here. This thing is going off like crazy. Oh, there he is!" Su said as the group arrived in the same room as them.

"Oh, hey there, Su-chan!" Keitaro said, the other girls turning to face the other girls.

"Y-You're here?" Naru asked rhetorically.

**Two minutes earlier, Tsuruko's group**

The girls had just arrived inside the gate when Su's Keitaro tracker went off as planned.

"Oh, no. Su-chan, what did you bring with you _this _time and how far do we have to be before it blows up?" Naru asked.

"That's just my Keitaro tracker. It's going off like crazy. That means he must be nearby," Su said excitedly, taking out the blinking device.

"Su-chan, that's impossible. Out of all the places he could be right now, why would Urashima pick this one? He might as well be in America for all we know," Motoko responded.

"Su-chan! Get back here!" Naru yelled after the brown blur.

Motoko sighed. "That girl hardly listens to me when it comes to that pathetic man," she said to herself out loud, causing Tsuruko to sigh an annoyed sigh.

The girls followed Su into the restaurant Sakana, which had four rooms; the entrance room and three dining rooms, two for small tables and one for big tables. There was a wall separating the entrance room from the room the romance suite group was in.

"Su-chan, come back here! He can't be here! Are you sure that thing's even got the right person targeted?" Naru asked. As they finally got to the door to the last room, they had caught up to the hyper-energetic little child.

"I'm sure he's here. I worked out all the bugs last time, so he should be here. This thing's going off like crazy. Oh, there he is!" Su said happily.

"Oh, hey, Su-chan!" Keitaro replied.

"Y-You're here?" Naru asked rhetorically.

"Whoa. Déjà vu," Sarah said, putting her hand on her forehead.

"Why don't you girls come and have a seat?" he asked them. Everyone except for Naru and Motoko went to take a seat, who were still dumbfounded that they found their other manager here, of all places, plus the girls who went with him. Finally, though, they took the remaining two seats at the table.

|/\/\|

And that's chapter six, everyone.

Mutsumi: Oh, my. I hope he will survive.

Motoko and Naru: WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!

Chris: Well, both of you _do_ hit him a lot, even for no reason. Or so it seems.

Keitaro: Why do I get the feeling he's going to tell us?

Chris: Because my author powers made you get that feeling. I'm not actually going to tell you.

Naru: Besides, it's not like there's a real reason.

Chris: Actually...(whispers reason into her ear)

Naru: I AM NOT! (gives him the Naru punch)

Chris: I can fly!

(Four seconds later, Chris crashes into the other side of the room into Naru, who fell under him)

Chris: (rubbing the back of his head) Well, that wasn't your smartest move.

Motoko: Is that what I'm like? Because, from outside, it's not so pretty.

Chris: I know, right? That's why there are bashers.

Su: What are bashers? Are they yummy?

Chris: Su, bashers are people who try to make story characters look like bad people. Or, at least, worse than they already do.

Su: Oh, like Motoko and Naru?

Chris: (whispering in Su's ear) Yes.

Su: I figured.

Motoko: What did you tell her, you dumb boy, you?

Chris: Really? Dumb boy? That's not what my report card says. And I merely stated the truth.

Motoko: That Urashima is a perverted male?

Chris: No, Motoko, I said the _truth_, not a massive misconception.

Motoko: Now you've made me mad! Lying that Urashima's perversions are misconceptions! SECRET TECHNIQUE: IRON-CUTTING FLASH!

Chris: Ow.

Motoko: Really? This is the third one you've broken in this chapter alone!

Chris: Hey! It's your fault for hitting my thick skull! Anyway, bye readers!


	7. Chapter 7: Challenging

A/N: Hey, people. I'm back. Sorry I haven't posted in a while.

Su: Hey, everyone! I brought smartphones!

Motoko: What are smartphones?

Chris: Oh, they're like a mixture of a cell phone, portable gaming system, and social device.

Kitsune: Oh, I've heard of these! I call dibs on the gold one!

Sarah: Yay, a phone! I get the red one!

Naru: Oh, can I try one?

Motoko: Interesting. Perhaps I'll take one.

Mutsumi: Ooh, can I have one, Su?

Shinobu: M-Maybe later.

Haruka: I already have one.

Keitaro: No thanks. I've heard that these things aren't really as good for talking as talking.

Chris: I already have one, too.

(While everyone is checking out their smartphones, Keitaro, Haruka, Shinobu, and Chris look at each other)

Chris: You know, I'm hungry. Anyone want lunch?

Haruka: I should be asking _you_, but sure. You're the author after all.

Keitaro: Oh, sure.

Shinobu: Oh, okay.

(everyone else is on their phones)

Chris: Let's just go. After all, they'll be fine.

Haruka, Keitaro, and Shinobu: Okay.

-Six months later-

Kitsune (texting): Hey, has anyone seen Haruka?

Motoko (texting): What about Urashima?

Sarah (texting): Hey, where'd Shinobu go?

Mutsumi: (looking around, sees a note) (texting) Hey, look over there. A note.

(Everyone reads the note in silence)

Su (texting): WHAT?! They've gone on a world tour? How did we miss it?

Naru (texting): I think we were on our phones.

Keitaro, Shinobu, Haruka, and Chris: WE'RE BAAAAAACK!

Motoko (texting to Chris): Where were you guys?

Chris (out loud) Really, Motoko?

Keitaro: See? This is what I meant when I said smartphones were a horrible way to socialize.

Shinobu: Yeah, I can see that. Oh, I have an idea. How about I smack them in the heads with a frying pan?

Chris: Okay, that's good. Comical, yet doable. How about you get one of them and I'll get the rest?

Shinobu: Okay.

(Chris hits everyone except Naru with a frying pan, Shinobu hits Naru with the frying pan)

Everyone that was on a phone before: OWWW! What was that for?

Chris: Missing six months of adventure.

Naru: What are you talking about? We were on the phones for two hours, not six months!

Chris: No, it was six months. You want proof? Here's a newspaper from the day you got your phones. Look at the date.

Motoko: What?! It can't be! This can't be the newspaper from the same day we got our phones, but I remember that the rug store around the block went out of business that day, and it was in this newspaper. And here it is!

Haruka: Yep. And while you were on your phones, we became a famous rock band, part of the basketball team in America, Shinobu became a Chopped Champion on Food Network, another show in America, I took out an international criminal with a pistol, and Keitaro became a famous carpenter. Plus, we got to see the Seven Wonders of the World, met some of the world's most powerful leaders outside of Japan, eat a hamburger, and met Motoko's sister.

Kitsune: You could do all of that in six months?

Chris: Well, I may have helped with travel and expenses, but yes, we did. Look, we have a scrapbook!

(Chris takes out a large and thick book)

-Five hours later-

Sarah: We really missed that much?

Chris: Yep. Now, are we going to get back to the story? You know, where you girls found Keitaro, Mutsumi, and Shinobu at the amusement park? You sat down with him for lunch.

Naru: Oh, yeah.

Chris: Disclaimer. I don't own Love Hina, Ken Akamatsu does. You should be able to have figured that out by now. If you didn't, either read back or get that concept down now. Also, for those of you who don't know, I do these weird pre-story sections for cheap laughs, not to tell people anything. If I actually have something to say before the story, It would be after the disclaimer. Now, STORY START!

|/\/\|

From last time:  
_The girls had just arrived inside the gate when Su's Keitaro tracker went off as planned._

_"Oh, no. Su-chan, what did you bring with you this time and how far do we have to be before it blows up?" Naru asked._

_"That's just my Keitaro tracker. It's going off like crazy. That means he must be nearby," Su said excitedly, taking out the blinking device._

_"Su-chan, that's impossible. Out of all the places he could be right now, why would Urashima pick this one? He might as well be in America for all we know," Motoko responded._

_"Su-chan! Get back here!" Naru yelled after the brown blur._

_Motoko sighed. "That girl hardly listens to me when it comes to that pathetic man," she said to herself out loud, causing Tsuruko to sigh an annoyed sigh._

_The girls followed Su into the restaurant Sakana, which had four rooms; the entrance room and three dining rooms, two for small tables and one for big tables. There was a wall separating the entrance room from the room the romance suite group was in._

_"Su-chan, come back here! He can't be here! Are you sure that thing's even got the right person targeted?" Naru asked. As they finally got to the door to the last room, they had caught up to the hyper-energetic little child._

_"I'm sure he's here. I worked out all the bugs last time, so he should be here. This thing's going off like crazy. Oh, there he is!" Su said happily._

_"Oh, hey, Su-chan!" Keitaro replied._

_"Y-You're here?" Naru asked rhetorically._

_"Whoa. Déjà vu," Sarah said, putting her hand on her forehead._

_"Why don't you girls come and have a seat?" he asked them. Everyone except for Naru and Motoko went to take a seat, who were still dumbfounded that they found their other manager here, of all places, plus the girls who went with him. Finally, though, they took the remaining two seats at the table._

"Wow, this is a real coincidence. I did not expect to see Kei-kun here!" Su started cheerfully. And by 'started', I mean 'started a conversation'.

"Yeah, what are the odds?" Sarah added incredulously, still smiling.

"Apparently, the odds are very good. I must admit, Keitaro-san, I did not expect to see you here," Tsuruko said in surprise. Only four of the people there that weren't her knew that it was fake surprise, though. After all, one of them suggested it to her, one of them was her husband, who she told all of this to, and two of them were the friends he chose to take with him, not to mention they were the only two people other than him in that romance suite.

"Yeah. By the way, I'm her husband, Yoshio Aoyama. Nice to meet you," Yoshio introduced.

"Nice to meet you, Yoshio-san. It's nice to finally meet the husband Tsuruko-san has spoken so highly of," Keitaro greeted, smiling.

"Thanks. Tsu-sama has spoken highly of you, too, Keitaro-san," Yoshio greeted back, smiling like Keitaro.

'Wow. Sister was right. Urashima-san is very gregarious indeed,' Motoko thought.

"So, Tsuruko-san, what brings you and the girls to Kanagawa Neverland?" Keitaro asked. 'Even though I already know the real reason _and _the excuse we planned for her to tell,' he mentally added.

"Oh, well, we were just taking a trip to have fun," she responded.

"Wow, that is a real coincidence! So were we!" Mutsumi pointed out.

"Oh, my. You seem real happy. You know, we haven't had time to catch up. So, how are you? How is it living with Mutsumi-san and Shinobu-san?" she asked.

"Oh, it's good. Nothing like spending time with friends, right?" he answered.

"That is true, old friend. Now, where are you staying?" Tsuruko asked.

"Oh, just some hotel. Remember, we agreed not to tell them?" Keitaro said.

"Hey! We're right here, you know. We can hear what you're saying!" Naru protested, eye twitching.

"Oh. Whoops," Keitaro replied sheepishly.

"What 'hotel' would that be?" Naru asked, eyes turning red.

"Narusegawa-san! It's not what you think!" Keitaro said.

"Oh, yeah? Then why are you a nervous wreck?" Naru asked. She was getting louder and attracting attention.

"Relax, Naru-chan. We're staying in a two-bed hotel room. Kei-kun usually gets the couch. He's so nice!" Mutsumi said in his defense.

"Really?" Naru asked, still skeptical.

"Yes, Naru-sempai," Shinobu responded.

"Alright, I believe _you_, Shinobu-chan. I know you wouldn't lie to me," Naru said. Keitaro turned to Mutsumi, then Shinobu. They both winked at him.

"So, how is it at the Hinata-sou with Tsuruko-san there?" Keitaro asked.

"Oh, it's okay, I guess. You know, she treats us well," Kitsune answered.

"Well, she abuses me," Naru said sadly.

Keitaro looked at Tsuruko with a cocked eyebrow. 'Abuse her?' he asked.

'No, I just hit her in the gut with a bokken. I don't even hit her very hard. She's just being melodramatic. Here, this is me the other day hitting her as many times as usual: one,' she responded mentally, showing him the image in her mind.

'Oh,' Keitaro thought. Out loud, he elected to comfort her. "Well, if you're here now, I'm sure it was nothing," was the 'comforting' comment.

"'Nothing'? She grilled me!" Naru said, eyes red with anger.

"Oh. I'm guessing you're mad now," he guessed.

"OF COURSE I'M MAD! WHY DID YOU STICK US WITH HER?! WHY?" she yelled. Of course, everyone in the restaurant heard her, and everyone in the room turned to look at her. Luckily, she cooled down enough to see that she had violated societal convention; she made a scene in a fancy restaurant.

"Whoops. Sorry. Heheh," Naru said sheepishly.

Then the table fell into an awkward silence. Or, rather, so it seemed. But, as nobody else was talking out loud, Mutsumi took the opportunity to ask Keitaro a question.

'Hey, Kei-kun, can we show them our new powers with _ki_?' she asked telepathically.

'Sorry, Mutsumi-chan. We can't show these powers to anyone. Not even them. I want to tell them, but then they might be in danger of bad people,' he responded.

'Aww,' Shinobu said mentally.

Meanwhile, Motoko was in her own train of thought. 'There it is again. That very same _ki _signature from before...and Sister said that the same _ki_ signature meant that she was talking to Urashima-san. Is she talking with him now?' she wondered.

Eventually, though, the whole table decided to engage in some small talk. You know, such as some of the crazy stuff that happened over the week, crazy laughs, and some weird looks at the different attitudes of the four tenants that had stayed behind at Hinata-sou.

"Hey, where's Tama-chan?" Su asked.

"Oh, we left her at the hotel room," Mutsumi answered.

"Oh, you mean _that_ Tama-chan?" Su asked, pointing to the turtle that was floating right behind a certain someone.

"GAH! Turtle?! Where?!" she asked frantically, jumping out of her chair and causing herself to be another subject of attention in a restaurant. Only, unlike the first time, her spotlight moment of awkwardness was short-lived as everyone stared in awe at the flying turtle making Motoko look like the Kami were after her and wanted her dead for being alive.

"Tama-chan? How did you get here?" Keitaro asked incredulously.

"Myuh!" she responded.

"What was that, Tama-chan?" Mutsumi asked.

"Myuh myuh myuh!" she responded.

"But, Tama-chan, I already know the secret," Mutsumi said out loud.

"Wait, what 'secret'?" Naru asked, the fire already moving into her eyes.

"Oh, we slept in the same bed as Kei-kun here," she responded, absolutely ditzy and sort of drunk.

"No, Narusegawa-san, it's not what-" Keitaro started.

"What?! YOU PERVERT!" Naru screamed, punching Keitaro straight into the kitchen. When he came back, his hair was literally on fire, as was his back and arms. However, this image was more comical than gruesome because the actual man looked like he was okay, not on fire. "I'll pay for the damages," he said to one of the surprised staff before walking out of the room, leaving some yen on the table to pay for the meal. Then, five seconds later, he came back, still on fire, and said, "Forgot my wallet."

...

"Okay, how did you survive _that_?" Naru asked. The entire Hinata gang was travelling around the park as a group now. After all, what are the chances you find your manager and two friends while they are _on vacation_ with sheer luck? At least, that's what they figured. Right now, Su and Sarah were catching up with Shinobu while Naru was catching up with Mutsumi and, to a lesser extent, Keitaro.

"Yes. I did not know you were fireproof," Motoko added.

"Well, um...I really don't know," Keitaro lied, sounding very believable. 'Well, I've had a few years of practice,' he thought gratefully.

"Idiot," Naru said, smacking him in the back of his head.

Meanwhile, Motoko was in thought. 'Hmm...something seems different about Urashima-san today. He seems...I cannot place the difference! His presence is mixing up my thoughts! How did he even get here the same day we did? Wait...now that I think about it, I bet she planned this little "coincidence" meeting. But how would she contact Urashima-san? Maybe she used the phone while everyone was asleep? Hang on,' she thought, going over to Su.

"Hey, Su-chan?" she said.

"Yes, Motoko-chan?" Su asked back.

"Did your security cameras catch anyone using the phone late at night?" Motoko asked.

"Hmm. Well, I would have to check!" she responded. She pulled out a tablet that had the royal insignia of MolMol on the back and turned it on. She tapped on an icon that was marked _Hinata Spy Cams_. She tapped on an icon that looked like a roll of film and was brought to the footage.

"Well, let's see..." Su said, scrolling to the footage at night on every day during Keitaro's absence while walking with the group to a bench near a Ferris Wheel. Finally, they came to Friday, where Motoko's sister was on the phone, just as Motoko had predicted.

"Okay, that is all I needed, Su-chan. Thank you," she said.

"You're welcome, Motoko-chan!" Su said, putting away the tablet.

'I must confront her about this,' she said, referring to her sister.

Meanwhile, Keitaro was trying to keep conversation from becoming boring when it occurred.

"Hey, no harm, no foul, right?" he said.

"Dude, she hit me!" Naru protested.

"I'm sure it was nothing," Keitaro dismissed.

"Oh, how would you know?" she asked indignantly.

"Well, she told me that all she did was smack you in the gut once a day with the blunt end of a wooden sword," he explained.

"Oh, of course _she_ would say that!" Naru responded, turning her head away in indignance.

"Well, I-" Keitaro started. He didn't get to finish, however, as a member of the staff had just yelled, "Oh no, there's a kid stuck up there! Someone go call the police!" quite near the group.

"Hmm?" Keitaro hummed, moving so that he could see the little child that was stuck up at the top of the broken Ferris Wheel. He was hanging for his life on one of the metal bars that made up the structure of the ride. There was a crowd gathered around the broken ride, screaming for someone to help like one of those old, cliche superhero movies.

'Oh no! I have to do something! If I don't, that kid's going to die!' Keitaro thought. 'I know! I'll put up a camo dome around me and lift the kid out of that mess he's in!' he thought. He reached his hands to the side, arms outstretched, and an invisible dome appeared around Keitaro.

That's when Motoko suddenly sensed a spike in _ki_energy in front of her. 'What? A spike in _ki_ energy? How?' she wondered. Then, she stared in awe at the floating kid that was slowly floating downward towards the ground. 'What? The kid is floating down? Impossible! There's no way that someone could float down like that! Not even _ki_ could do that! Wait...I found a spike in _ki_ at the same time I saw the floating kid...hmmm...wait, I have to check.' And, with that confused thought, she closed her eyes and imagined good emotions, something she realizes she hasn't done in a while. She opened her eyes again and her pupils were blue. 'Okay, now let us see what that spike in _ki_ was all ab-OW! My eyes! There's so much _ki_ right here! What could be causing all of that?' she thought, covering her eyes at the very bright light that signaled that there was an overwhelming amount of _ki_ from a source.

Meanwhile, everyone was staring in awe at the kid that was slowly floating down to the ground.

With some effort, she got used to the big blue glare and saw its source. What she saw surprised her. 'U-Urashima? Shinobu-chan? Otohime-san? These three are the ones that almost blinded me with their _ki_ energy? If I wasn't seeing it, I wouldn't believe it,' she thought in wonderment. To find that the one you considered the weakest person you know out of a whole half a species you don't like very much can use _ki _energy, something only a couple people you know would know about, and has more than you is something too surprising for one person to handle. Plus, to top it all off, Shinobu, one of the youngest girls at the Hinata-sou, and Mutsumi, the frailest-seeming girl at the Hinata-sou (what with all the anemic fainting spells) were also producing much more _ki_ energy than herself. This surprised her to no limit.

As they say, after the surprise, her shock set in. Of course, she recoiled from the glare of all that _ki_ energy at once, which her friends noticed. In her shock, however, she could not answer nor hear their concerned inquiries. They sounded all echo-y and far-away in her current daze. Even with all her training, she was physically unable to hear their questions or see their faces. Then, the shock became too much for her and she fainted.

...

Motoko awoke in a room that one could only know as a hospital recovery room. She was lying on a bed and there were nurses all around her sleeping figure (A/N: in this story, Motoko only has women as nurses and a female doctor). She recognized her regular doctor, Yukie.

"Yukie-sensei, what happened?" the raven-haired patient asked.

"Well, after a short diagnosis, we discovered that you fainted from shock. Don't worry, Motoko-san. It's a very common reason to faint," the doctor assured her. Yet, it did nothing to ease her worries.

'That glare...so much _ki _energy! How-how-how is there more _ki_ in Urashima than normal? And why was there a lot of energy coming from Otohime and Shinobu? And _what _was that blue energy field surrounding Urashima? I must ask them! There's no _way_ Urashima could produce that much energy! And the other two girls' abnormal energy production is also very odd. They had more energy than normal _before_, but they seem to know how to use their extra energy. How come I have never detected Urashima's massive amount of energy before?' she asked herself incredulously. She tried to remember back to the last time she turned on her _ki_ vision. That was when Mutsumi was staying home instead of going to cram school. She was a little sick that day, as was Shinobu. Motoko had used her _ki_ vision to see if there was any problem with their _ki_. She could remember that Keitaro had been out of the room at the time.

'Well, that could explain why I never knew Urashima had all that _ki_ energy,' she concluded in her head.

"-but, anyway, you should be free to go," the doctor finished.

"Huh? Oh, okay, thank you, Yukie-sensei," Motoko thanked distractedly, not really sure what the doctor said. She got up and out of the bed and grabbed the piece of paper telling her she was released from the hospital from her doctor as the nurses filed out of the room.

Meanwhile, the Hinata gang was waiting in the waiting room of the hospital nearest to the theme park. All of them looked worried. Well, then again, who wouldn't be concerned for a friend? They were visibly relieved when Motoko came out into the surprisingly empty waiting room.

"Why is this waiting room so empty?" Motoko asked.

"Oh, well...the doctors moved them to another waiting room. Good thing we could tell them that before you woke up!" Kitsune responded.

"Well...thanks, I guess. Urashima-san, can I talk to you in private, please?" Motoko asked.

"Uhhh...sure," Keitaro said.

"Could all of you give us a moment?" Motoko asked, turning to everyone else.

"You got it, Motoko-san!" Kitsune said in her usual manner, snickering as she left the two to be alone.

As they left the emergency room, Kitsune snickered louder, allowing everyone else to hear her.

"What's so funny, Kitsune-san?" Naru asked.

"Oh, Naru-san. She said, 'Can you give us a minute?' I think it's pretty obvious that she's going to make a move on him," she explained, smiling.

"Oh, please. Why would she make a move on him?" Naru asked skeptically.

"Well, he _is_ kind of cute...and, besides, it's just a question," Kitsune replied.

**Meanwhile...**

"I have a question, Urashima-san," Motoko said.

"Okay, Motoko. What is it?" Keitaro asked.

"Did you save that kid that was about to fall from the Ferris Wheel?" Motoko asked.

"WHAAT? How could I have saved him? I was on the ground," Keitaro said.

"Don't lie to me, Urashima-san. I detected a spike in _ki_ energy when that kid was about to fall, but started floating towards the ground. Then I used my _ki_-vision to see what was causing that when I saw all the _ki_ emanating from you and Otohime-san and Maehara-chan. I saw the field of _ki_ around you that looked like a force field of sorts. I saw the trail of _ki_ that was coming from you towards that kid as he was coming down to the ground. So...is it true? Do you have extra _ki_ energy inside you?" she asked again.

Keitaro hesitated.

"Urashima-san?" Motoko asked firmly.

"...Yes, Motoko-chan, I was born with extra _ki_ energy and faster _ki_ production," he answered.

"What? How could you not tell us this? Wait, you did learn how to control it, right?" Motoko asked.

"Yes, I learned how to control it. And I knew that it would put everyone in danger if I told them. That's why I decided to keep it a secret. I was keeping the secret hidden from everyone until recently," Keitaro answered hesitantly.

"Why? What happened?" Motoko asked, now sounding curious rather than like a girl demanding answers.

"Well, that's when I noticed that Mutsumi-chan and Shinobu-chan started producing almost as much _ki_ energy as you. Then, when I decided that I would take a break from trying to tell you girls what you were missing, I figured that Mutsumi-chan and Shinobu-chan would not need to learn any lesson. What they _did _need to learn was how to control their _ki_ energy before something bad happened," Keitaro explained.

"But...why? Why would you hide this? What danger would we be in?" Motoko asked.

"Well, you know how you always send people flying? Well, those people go to report the assault to the police. If it weren't for me, your victims would actually remember getting hit before they actually get to the police. I put a special sort of 'spell' on you so that any of the people who had the normal level of _ki _to forget the assault you gave them. I can use _ki_, too," he explained.

"What? You can use _ki_, too?" Motoko asked.

"Yes. When I was younger, aunt Haruka told me that I should learn how to use _ki_ energy to burn off the extra. I learned defense and everyday life, as well as some martial arts," he responded.

"Defense?! So you could have stopped my attacks any time at all?" Motoko asked.

"Yes, I could have. But, I didn't want you to wonder how I defended from your _ki_ attacks, so I elected to use the _ki_ shield to break my fall instead of block your hit," Keitaro explained.

"Whoa," Motoko said, staring off into space while trying to comprehend what she was just told. "Wait, did you get to Kanagawa Neverland before us?"

"Yes. I taught the girls how to geo-leap," Keitaro responded.

"What is this 'geo-leaping' you speak of?" Motoko asked.

"Well, it's like teleportation, only you have to be able to see where you want to go. It saves _ki _energy compared to actual teleporting," he responded.

After a while, Motoko shook her head. "No! I will believe this insane fact when I see it! When we go our seperate ways, I challenge you to a fight! If you do not show up tonight at ten o'clock in the forest behind Hinata-sou, I will find you and cut off your head!" Motoko threatened.

"Okay, Motoko. If that's how you want to have it, that's okay. I guess you would make me accept your challenge either way, so I guess I accept," Keitaro said hesitantly.

"Good. Don't be late," she commanded, walking out of the room.

Keitaro looked in her direction for a minute. 'Oh, no. I have to fight Motoko-chan now with my real skills. What do I do? I don't want her to feel ashamed when she loses to me, but I can't back off or she might tell the rest of the girls,' he thought worriedly. Then, he snapped out of his trance and followed after her.

...

Keitaro looked troubled the rest of the time at the amusement park. Somehow, though, he managed to hide it from his tenants. The only ones who could sense his uneasiness were the ones who learned how to use their _ki_ over the week he was absent from Hinata-sou. Which is why they asked him what was up when the whole group was at the arcade. Everyone was standing by the racing game, cheering on one of the four racers. Everyone except Keitaro, that is. He was leaning against the wall, staring off into space, wondering what to do about Motoko. 'I can't just obliterate her, but I can't just ignore her challenge. If I ignore her, she will think her honor is insulted, but if I show up, she'll pressure me to go my hardest on her, and then she will feel like her honor is even _more_ insulted when none of her usual attacks are working,' he argued in his head.

'What's wrong, Kei-kun?' he heard in his head.

'Well, Mutsumi-chan, Motoko-chan challenged me to a fight and I don't know how to let her down easy. If I ignore her, she'll come after me, but if I go, she's going to pressure me to do my worst to her, and then she'll feel ashamed that she lost to me,' he explained to her via telepathy.

'Oh, that is a pickle. Hmmm...' she said.

'Oh, man, that was _fun_! I just got first place! And not a scratch on me! I beat Kitsune-san!' Shinobu's voice mentally shouted cheerfully.

'Whoa, Shinobu-chan! What got you so happy? You got first place in the racing game?' Mutsumi asked.

'Yeah! Everyone kept trying to hit me with missiles and lasers and everything, but I kept dodging them and they hit the other two racers! It was awesome!' she explained.

'Wait, you kept dodging?' Keitaro asked.

'Yeah. I used the dodging controls and then nobody could hit me! It was awesome!' she cheered in their heads.

'Wait, that's it!' Keitaro said, an imaginary light bulb appearing over his head.

|\/\/|

And that's the new chapter. Woo-hoo! Cliffhanger! Also, I am going to do a bit of a poll. You see, I want to know how many of you like the silly author's notes that I do for laughs. Just post a review saying if you want them to stay or if you want me to only add characters like in the author's notes when I have something important to say. Remember, if you don't post a review, I will not know your opinion. I'll only count the reviews I get.

Sarah: Bye, readers!

Chris: Hey, that's my line!

(screen fades to black)


	8. Chapter 8: Can't Touch This

A/N: Hey, people. School is starting on Monday. I kinda took a little three-day break, too, since Tuesday, and I'm sorry about that. But, the good news is that now I can write some Japanese and I know how to make an origami paper gun. Sorry if it seems like I was slacking off, but I just got a bit of writer's block. Also, I think I am going to put this story on hiatus. I've been having so many ideas for 'The Ki Chronicles'. I've been forming the storyline in my head and also in my to-do list app I'm using as my story idea log. Also, for those of you who were wondering, I actually type all my stories on my phone now. My dad got me an Apple Bluetooth Keyboard a while ago, so I can type as fast as on a computer, maybe faster (for me). I don't want to disappoint anyone, but I haven't gotten any FanFiction activity since the new chapter of my story, so I don't know if I'm sounding too egotistical or just needing time as an author, so I feel kinda discouraged. Hopefully, I get a constructive review! Anyway, STORY START!

September 20-Hey, everyone. Sorry I haven't posted this chapter after that huge wait. I'm embarrased to admit it, but I actually forgot about this chapter for a while. Go ahead, tease me! I don't really mind if anyone were to make fun of me over that. Remember that everything I said before this 'September 20' update was from the weekend before school started, which was in August. Anyway, _now _is STORY START!

|/\/\|

From last time:

'_What's wrong, Kei-kun?' he heard in his head._

_'Well, Mutsumi-chan, Motoko-chan challenged me to a fight and I don't know how to let her down easy. If I ignore her, she'll come after me, but if I go, she's going to pressure me to do my worst to her, and then she'll feel ashamed that she lost to me,' he explained to her via telepathy._

_'Oh, that is a pickle. Hmmm...' she said._

_'Oh, man, that was fun! I just got first place! And not a scratch on me! I beat Kitsune-san!' Shinobu's voice mentally shouted cheerfully._

_'Whoa, Shinobu-chan! What got you so happy? You got first place in the racing game?' Mutsumi asked._

_'Yeah! Everyone kept trying to hit me with missiles and lasers and everything, but I kept dodging them and they hit the other two racers! It was awesome!' she explained._

_'Wait, you kept dodging?' Keitaro asked._

_'Yeah. I used the dodging controls and then nobody could hit me! It was awesome!' she cheered in their heads._

_'Wait, that's it!' Keitaro said, an imaginary light bulb appearing over his head._

...

Before anyone knew it, they were back at the place they were staying, whether it was the Hinata-sou or the romance suite of a hotel in Kyoto.

"How did you lose all the girls, Kei-kun?" Mutsumi asked.

"Oh, well, when Naru-chan tried to tackle me, everyone else came in and tried the same thing, so I got away while they were rubbing their heads," Keitaro said, laughing. All three of them were laughing a lot.

"Hey, Sempai, it's almost ten o'clock. Don't you need to go to the duel with Motoko-sempai?" Shinobu asked.

"Oh, yeah. That's right. Hang on, I'm going to get the picture of the Hinata-sou real quick. I need to geo-leap there or I won't make it," he said, looking at the clock.

"Hey, Kei-kun, can we come?" Mutsumi asked.

"Well...I don't know, Mutsumi-chan. What if she finds you two? She might freak out," Keitaro reasoned.

"Pleeeeease, Sempai? We promise we'll hide," Shinobu begged.

"Well...okay. But promise you'll hide yourselves until it's time to come back," Keitaro said.

"We promise," both girls responded at once.

"Good. Now, come on, let's geo-leap there," Keitaro commanded.

**Meanwhile, the forest behind the Hinata-sou**

Motoko was standing in front of a tree, practicing her _katas_. She took one slice and felled the tree in one swing. 'Ah, I see I have not gotten rusty for skipping today's practice,' she thought. She heard a rustling in the bushes and turned to see a figure in the darkness. She looked to see the man she asked to show up. She smirked in amusement. "I did not think you would show up, Urashima-san. Prepare to die," she said calmly but with the venom of a lethal snake. She raised her sword and took a slice in the air, saying, "Ougi: Zanganken (Secret Technique: Stone-Cutting Sword)," and causing a wave of deadly light issuing from the arc and flying towards the bespectacled man. The energy hit the ground, kicking up dust. When the dust settled, she was surprised to see nobody there. No cowering man, nothing.

"Huh?" Motoko said, going closer to the spot where the attack landed. There was absolutely no trace of him. 'Where is he?' she thought.

"Motoko-chan, I'm over here," came a voice from behind her. She gasped and turned quickly around to see the man in question standing there where she was staring.

"Wha-? How did you...?" she asked in surprise.

"I thought I told you already. I can control _ki_," he explained. Motoko just stared in frustration as she comprehended the truth she denied. After a few moments, she shook her head in denial, even after what just happened.

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "No, no, no, it just can't be true! Urashima is a weakling! It just can't be!" she said, taking more slices of _ki_ energy at Keitaro. She was shocked to see that all of them completely missed him. She watched as he jumped over her low strike, ducked under her head strike, spun around her center strike (it would've split a normal person right down the middle), sidestepped her next three strikes, parried her flurry of completely un-dodge-able slices, and even took her katana out of her hand before she could make her fiftieth slice of the Stone-Cutting Sword. She noticed this and looked down to where her katana should have been, only to find out that it was stuck in the ground behind her.

"Huh?! How did you completely dodge all of my strikes? You're a weakling!" Motoko exclaimed.

"Motoko-chan, I can use my _ki_, you know. I can use it for anything. Watch," Keitaro said. He stretched out his arm, his hand glowing a shade of rainbow that lit up the forest, causing her to flinch from the sudden surge surplus of light reaching her eyes. After a few moments, her eyes adjusted to the multi-colored glow of his hand.

"What is this, Urashima-san? No, now I know you can't possibly be him. New question: who are you and what have you done with our weakling of a manager?" she asked coldly.

"I assure you I really am Keitaro Urashima," Keitaro responded.

"Prove it, liar," Motoko responded, voice colder than previously.

"Well, I know you have a scratch on your back shaped like the _hiragana_ character _tsu_ on your back (_hiragana _is one of the alphabets in the japanese language. The one most of you are probably thinking of is kanjI, which is a combination of Chinese and Japanese and has about two thousand characters. Lastly, the character _tsu_ in _hiragana_ looks like this: つ. This is all just for your clarity.)," Keitaro said.

"What? How did you know about that?" Motoko asked, alarmed.

"Well, I asked you about it after I accidentally walked in on you once before you put your chest bindings on. Remember?" Keitaro explained.

"That was a couple weeks ago. So, it really is you, Urashima-san. So everything you told me was true?" she asked incredulously.

"Yep. I didn't want to make you feel ashamed that you lost to a 'male'. You know how you are," Keitaro said.

"Yet, you showed up. Why would you hide this?" Motoko asked.

"Well, you know those guys that hurt the people with these powers to control them in an army? Well, I've come face-to-ugly-maw with these evil men. You would not believe how ambitious these people are. They all act stupid, actually. Sure, they're powerful, but they make mistakes too big to miss. For example-GET DOWN!" Keitaro explained, suddenly shouting for Motoko to hit the dirt. She reacted very quickly. Then she turned to see that he had caught an arrow that was apparently flying at her. Then he put his hand out and gripped the air. Then he brought his closed hand down towards himself and a group of guys with crossbows were drawn out of the trees by a big blue hand.

"What do you guys want? I told you, I'm never coming back! Just accept it already!" Keitaro yelled.

"Keitaro-san, put us down or you will be subdued," one of the people commanded.

"By whom?" Keitaro asked persistently.

"Boss Bolt, that's who, you lug nut," another guy said. His voice was deeper than the first guy's. Keitaro then reluctantly opened his hand and the big blue one dissipated, dropping the people inside it.

"Urashima-san, who are they?" Motoko asked suspiciously.

"These people are my ex-coworkers. Then I quit and they decided to leave on a sour note. Now they hate me for quitting. Even though _they_ were the ones who tried to force me to stay. Did you really have to use a cattle prod?" Keitaro explained, turning resentfully to the guys getting up from the ground at the last statement.

"Well, Kei-san, you wouldn't stay when we used the missile launchers!" one of them whined.

"And why would that make me want to stay any more than the cattle prod did?" Keitaro asked.

"Well, we figured that it would make you stay with all the pain," he responded.

"Yeah, right. Why would I want to stay with an agency of jerks? All of you just tried to kill one of my tenants! I tell you, you guys are sitting in a ticking time bomb with the agency. They've become corrupt," Keitaro warned.

"Oh, please, Kei-san. They're not _that _bad," the third one said carelessly.

"In case you didn't remember, after I stood up to him, Boss Flicker tried to KILL me! All because he was blaming me for losing _his_ boss's socks! Seriously!" Keitaro complained.

"Well, don't worry about it, Kei-san. We came to give you some news. Dark Storm is on the rise again," one man said.

"What? But, if he gets to Japan, he'll destroy every city! You know what, fine. I'll help. But don't bother begging me to come back to the agency, because I'm not coming back," Keitaro warned.

"Nobody is going anywhere until somebody explains what the hell is going on here!" Motoko shouted.

"We don't have time, miss. We must be going now," one of them asked.

Then Motoko grabbed Keitaro's arm and gripped it tight. "No! You are not going anywhere until you explain yourselves!" she demanded.

After a reluctant sigh, one of them gave an answer. He said, "Miss, I'm sorry, but if we explain without going, Dark Storm will-"

"This Dark Storm person does not matter at all to me if I do not know who he is!" Motoko interrupted.

"Come on, guys. Why don't you let her come along? She can defend herself, even against a maniac like Dark Storm," Keitaro defended.

"You do not need to defend me!" Motoko shouted, turning to Keitaro.

"Enough! Alright, you can come along, miss. We'll explain on the way," the guy said urgently.

"You do not have the right to command _me_ around, mister!" Motoko spat vehemently.

"We don't have time for this, Motoko-chan! Just follow us!" Keitaro begged.

Motoko, however, denied. Her words were, "No! I refuse to be commanded by a group of weakling-"

"FOLLOW US _NOW_!" Keitaro interrupted.

"Gah! Okay, okay, fine!" Motoko submitted, startled by the sudden and completely unpredictable change in her manager's tone. She started following the group of guys.

'Wait, what just happened?' she thought.

|\/\/|

And that's the new chapter. I have to warn you guys that actually like my stories that I only get about four and a half hours to write with my school schedule. And that's without taking out personal time from that amount. So I have not much time to write. That's a huge difference from the fact that I had no school during summer break. Also, like the cliffhanger? Well, I keep getting these ideas for the story of 'The Ki Chronicles'. It's, like, all I can think of. Well, in terms of thinking of stories. For example, I know already how five-sixths of the story is going to go, who is going to appear, what's going to happen, I even made diagrams of many elements of the story. Also, I figured that a piece of advice I got was right: focusing on one story at a time helps with the quality. That's why this chapter was a tad shorter than most chapters. So, this story is on hiatus as of this chapter until further notice. I apologize to those of you who enjoy this story, but I promise you, this is the first story in my queue after that. I really also think that focusing on one story with so much less time to write is a wise choice. Once again, I'm sorry. Bye readers.


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